Birth of a Legend
by Dark Nuriko
Summary: My take on how the Marauder's got together and their years in Hogwarts. Some malexmale. Sirius/Remus, James/Lily. Better summary inside.
1. Chapter I: First Impressions

**Title:**_**Birth of a Legend**_

**Author:** Dark Nuriko

**Category:** Harry Potter

**Genre:** Humor/Romance

**Pairings:** Sirius/Remus, James/Lily

**Warnings:** Language, Boys Love, Adult Situations, Angst, Cruelty, Torment, Possible OOC moments.

**Rating:** PG-13 to R, depending on chapter content.

**Disclaimer:**_**Harry Potter**_ and its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I don't claim to own any of them and use them completely for fun and non-profit.

_**Author's Note:**_ After re-reading the books for the fifth time, watching the movies over again for the umpteenth time, and reading some fan-fiction, an idea struck me. I wanted to write about the Marauder's and how they came to be. Thus this tale was born. There will be male on male pairings as well as straight pairings. Since even J.K. Rowling said some people were gay, I know there would have been some. I also know what pairings she ended with… but since this is a fan-fic, I reserve the right to play around with them as I wish. I hope you enjoy. Also, for those who are enjoying other stories written by me… I will get back to them. It's just this little bug bit me and with most of the chapters done, I just had to get it out first.

_**Birth of a Legend**_

_Chapter I: First Impressions_

If there was a first impression to be had of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry for one Remus J. Lupin was that it was huge. The eleven year old boy was certain there was so much more to know and think about the place, but he couldn't think of any of the hundreds of words he could have used in place of that one simple word. In his whole eleven years of life, books were Remus' best friend, so his vocabulary was far more advanced for one of his age. There were some small scars on his face and hands, but they were faded, almost as if one wouldn't see them unless they were looking for them. His hair was light brown although one or two strands seemed to shimmer gray in the sunlight. His eyes hazel, taking in the sight of a building he'd never once expected to have been able to come to, seeing as he'd been cursed for what seemed to be his whole life.

When Dumbledore had first told him about Hogwarts, Lupin had taken to learning as much about the school as he could. He'd then become even more enchanted when he'd realized lots of students who were just as eager to learn would be attending the school. Yet he'd remembered what he'd been told growing up as a person who had been cursed. He'd been told over and over again that no one would want to be around him. Books had become his only friend for most of his life. Thanks to Headmaster Dumbledore he now had a chance at a normal life, even if it was for a short amount of time. The Headmaster had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure there were precautions set about for everyone for one night a month were he could become a danger to everyone. He knew it would be strange, to explain why he was always missing during those days, but he was certain even the Headmaster had thought of that.

Once the size of the school was overcome, Remus found himself making his way to the boats. Seeing as he could see the castle from the docks where the train had dropped them off, he was certain the word huge was going to be stretched into something more appropriate like humongous or gigantic. Thinking of the word gigantic Remus found himself looking toward the man who was currently helping students into boats. All first years were required to ride in groups of four toward the castle by way of the lake. Second years and up would go by carriage. To most people, the carriages appeared to be pulled by magic. Yet Remus knew otherwise. Being cursed as he was, he'd seen death in his young life. As such, he could see the skeletal black bodies and dragonish faces of the creatures that did all the work. Thestrals they were called, if he could recall it correctly from his reading of one of the text books they'd been required to have for their first year here.

Seeing that most of the other boats were underway, Remus felt that he was suddenly making a very bad impression. There were already three other boys waiting in the last boat and Remus managed to scramble on rather quickly once he'd seen a rather impatient look on one of their faces. Keeping his eyes downcast he didn't see much on the boat ride but he could hear the three chattering excitedly as they continued on. Once at the other side, Remus was the first to scurry off so that he wouldn't hold them up any longer. Yet as one foot settled onto solid ground he felt a tug at his robes and felt himself tumble backwards, onto the hard wood of the boat. While he was no stranger to pain, he certainly didn't enjoy having it inflicted on him for no real reason.

"You kept us waiting so now you can wait," one of the boys remarked, his voice haughty and prideful. One of the other boys laughed and together they both stepped partly on Remus before getting out of the boat and following after the rest of the students. The other boy frowned at their retreating forms before moving to offer a hand to Remus, giving him a slight smile.

"You know, I can curse them for you once I've learned a good one," the boy commented, waiting till Remus was on his feet before helping him dust off his robes. With both on solid grounds Remus took the second to actually take notice of the other boy before him. Hazel eyes were hidden behind simple round framed glasses. A confident expression rested on his face and his hair was black, untidy and parts of it kept sticking up in the back. He was slightly taller than Remus but then many were. Remus had yet to hit his growth spurt and he dreaded that he'd never have one. Being overly thin and usually inactive, Remus certainly had no lofty aspirations of ever looking handsome. His many scars certainly didn't help him any either.

A small grin crossed his lips as Remus looked at his kind-of defender. "Thank you for that. But it's perfectly alright. I'm kind of surprised they didn't dump me in the drink for making them be the last boat here," Remus answered, finding the other boys aura of confidence and kindness to attract him somewhat.

"Ah, the wait and being last shouldn't matter. We're all going to be lead in together." He paused and dusted off his hands before holding one out. "James Potter. Sorry for being a prat, I should have introduced myself earlier."

Remus placed his own hand into James', feeling the power in that simple handshake and honestly feeling a bit of a thrill at knowing he was possibly making his first friend ever. "Remus Lupin, nice to meet you James."

James grinned before motioning toward the group of first years. "Come on let's go catch up with the rest. I'll keep my fingers crossed we'll be sorted into the same houses so we can get to know one another more."

"I hope so. I'd really like it if we can be friends," Remus said, the hope he felt creeping into his voice, although he'd tried to hold it back.

The smile that crossed the others lips at those words made Remus stop in surprise for a second. He'd never expected such simple words to make someone else happy. "Then we both better work hard to be in the same house. Come on." Without another word the two raced to join the rest of the group.

The first night was over. Dinner had been amazing with all manner of dishes having been laid out before the students. The sorting for the first years had been something interesting to see and it seemed that the two boys had managed to accomplish just what they had been working hard for. They'd been sorted into the same house and apparently had even been placed into the same dorm. When the two boys had started up the stairs they had managed to laugh over the fact they'd both turned toward the same door.

"I think we worked overtime, Remus. We not only managed to end up in the same house, but in the same room as well. Nice job," James commented as he found his trunk and flopped out on the bed he'd been given.

"I can say the same to you, James. I really didn't think our luck would extend so far."

"Let's just hope we didn't end up using it all on this," James laughed, even as he looked over as another boy walked into the dorm. This one seemed to have slightly beady eyes and unkempt hair that seemed thin for one of only eleven years. He shifted nervously from foot to foot and glanced around as if he was expecting something bad to happen at any moment.

Remus took this moment to smile at the boy, hoping he didn't look overly fearsome to the other boy, especially since his scars tended to stand out in dim candle light. "Welcome to the dorm. I'm Remus Lupin. It's nice to meet you…" he trailed off, waiting for him to give him a name.

The nervous boy seemed to bit his lower lip, as if debating what the proper answer was for a second. After a rather loud swallow, he looked down at his clasped hands and answered in a slightly high, squeaky voice, "Peter Pettigrew. I saw you when you were sorted. You were a little pale. Yet I think a lot of us were, except for Mr. Potter, over there. He seemed so calm and confident. It was quite amazing!" His voice had risen at the end of the sentence as those beady, watery eyes turned to James.

James snorted, before raising a hand and waving it back and forth above himself. "Don't call me Mr. Potter. That's my father you're talking to when you say that. You can call me James. Nice to meet you as well, Pettigrew."

"You can call me Peter, Mr… Um I mean James. Everyone usually does," the nervous boy said, even as he his features seemed to be a bit more rat-like now that Remus was able to get a better look at him. Yet Peter seemed to only have eyes for James. While it was a little disappointing, Remus couldn't rightly fault the boy for it. James had a presence that just seemed to demand everyone attention and adoration.

"All right, the best man is here, you can all bow and thank your lucky stars you were placed in the same room as me," a rather cocky voice said as one more boy burst into the room. His hair was black and seemed to fall into his eyes in a boyish yet sexy way. A hint of gray seemed to peek out from behind the hair, revealing the color of his eyes. Remus noted instantly that he was rather good looking with aristocratic, somewhat haughty looks that matched his tone.

"Now why would I do that, Sirius? That would mean you're better than me," James commented, sitting up and meeting the other's gaze head on.

Peter seemed awestruck, because he said nothing. Yet his stance and body language was telling Remus that he was in awe of both men. Even Remus remembered Sirius Black from the sorting ceremony. He'd spoken out when he'd gotten onto the stage, claiming that he'd go against all the Black family and end up in any house except for Slytherin. True to his word the Sorting Hat had then called out the name Gryffindor for the rogue Black. It had caused a bit of a stir. Even on the way up to their dorm, the talk had been about nothing else but his outburst.

"James! We get to be rivals in the same house and same dorm I see. Nice! I expect a good fight in all things," Sirius exclaimed, laughing in a way that reminded Remus of a dog bark.

Remus found the exchange rather funny. It was obvious James and Sirius knew one another in some way. Perhaps it was because both came from pureblooded wizarding families. It hadn't been something he'd expected, but it wasn't a complete surprise. Most pureblood families had ties to other pureblood families. He was so lost in his train of thought that he'd never heard the words being said to him or the fact he'd managed to gain the attention of the whole room without even trying.

"Hey! What's with acting like you're under an Impedimenta Jinx?" Sirius called out, waving a hand in front of his face.

Remus was shocked out of his thoughts as he looked up, finding his own hazel gaze locking with the most stunning gray gaze he'd ever seen. The amusement in them seemed to shock Remus as he stared.

"Ha, look at that, James! He's speechless!" Sirius called as he looked back over his shoulder at James a second.

Remus took that moment to compose him-self before the other turned back to him again. Sure, he wanted to make friends, but having someone so confident and overpowering right in front of him was a bit overwhelming. "Ah, I guess I was just lost in thought. I'm sorry. Were you asking me something?"

James seemed to chuckle lightly, motioning toward Remus. "I don't think it was your great charm that managed that. Personally I believe you stunned him with your forwardness."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "You only wish that was the case." He then turned back toward the boy. Without waiting for a word he reached out and turned his head one way and then another.

Remus was taken aback by those actions. So much so he had no chance to think about stopping it. It was more surprising since those fingers felt slightly rough for someone who was to have been from a rather highly known and respected wizarding family. "W… What are you doing?" Remus managed to stammer out, uncertain just what the other was looking for.

"James, did you notice! He's got the most amazing scars. They're hard to see but they're there. Right over his cheeks and nose," Sirius said as he trailed a finger over them, drawing James' attention to them and making Remus feel suddenly self-conscious about them.

"I didn't. But now that you point it out, I do. Pretty impressive marks there, Remus. Glad to know you survived whatever tried to eat you. One would think it had to of been a pretty powerful creature if a Medi-witch or wizard couldn't heal the scars."

"It… happen a long time ago," Remus managed to say, pulling away from James' touch so he wouldn't be prone to keep feeling those fingers over his face for any longer than he already had.

"You must have been very young, considering we're only eleven now and you say it was a long time ago," James murmured, feeling for his new friend slightly.

Remus nodded. While it was true, it had happened when he was younger; he kept the scars as a reminder of what he was. The fact the scars were re-opened once a month at times, was making it harder and harder for them to fade. "I was about one or two years old. I don't really recall it very well."

"Then don't you worry, Remus. I can call you Remus, can't I?" Sirius asked, even as he didn't really wait for a response from the other. "James and I are going to be your friends and personal guardian's. No monster will ever hurt you again. I promise you."

"I promise the same. We'll even let Peter in on it if you'll let him. We'll be four friends. We'll work together so that we can always make sure no one tries to hurt you again, Remus," James added, glancing toward Peter who had been watching the whole scene.

"S… Sure!" Peter stammered, as if he was happy they'd invited him into the small group they'd began.

"Thanks guys. That means a lot. Really," Remus said, smiling brightly as he struggled to hide his tears at the fact he had not one… not two… but now three friends who were willing to stand beside him. He just hoped that once he started disappearing for a day or two each month didn't end up making him-self more of an outcast than a friend to them. He really wanted to these friends to last.


	2. Chapter II: Disappearance Mystery

_**Birth of a Legend**_

_Chapter II: Disappearance Mystery_

James found himself sighing almost as much as Sirius was grumbling. They had a paper due in under an hour and no clue what to write. Their group's resident bookworm was somehow missing once more. This wouldn't have bothered the boys much if it wasn't something that seemed to be occurring every month. Usually for about two days each month Remus Lupin would simply vanish. Well, more appropriately it was more one afternoon and a day. Sometimes he came back with a darker tint to his scars. The coloring signs of magic having been performed on him to keep them from looking worse. The other three of their dorm wouldn't have even noticed him vanishing if it weren't for just how important he was to their groups inner workings.

"That's it! I give up! I wonder if I can get away with saying my potions assignment managed to spill over it and I need more time," Sirius grumbled, looking from Peter to James. Peter seemed to just be writing away, although since James and Sirius both knew Peter did just as poorly as them when Remus was missing, they didn't expect much of it.

James sighed, tossing his quill down as well, his paper not even begun. "We could always jinx one another and spend the day in the infirmary. It will give us the extra time to figure out what to do."

Sirius laughed. "We are getting pretty good with those tricks. The other day I managed to make every other step Snivellus took on the stairs sink under his weight. The whole thing was hysterical. You would have loved it James."

James chuckled. "Bet he didn't like that too much. Too bad I had to miss it. Old Miss Evens was busy giving me a dressing down since I always pick on the prat. I swear, she's overly protective of the boy. You'd think they were siblings or something. Perhaps married, the way she carries on about him." His tone of voice made Peter look up from his work, watching James for a long moment.

"I heard they were friends before they came to Hogwarts," Peter added, hoping to be of assistance in the conversation. The news was unexpected and made both Sirius and James pause in their comments to look at the rat-like boy.

"How ever did you hear this, Peter?" Sirius asked, completely surprised by just how much that boy could hear some days.

"Well, people talk a lot. They also tend to never notice me so I hear things they wouldn't otherwise say to someone they don't know. It was Severus who helped Lily realize she was a witch, apparently," Peter told them, happy to be of some use to them.

James sat back in his chair, one hand coming up to rub his chin. "No wonder she's always protecting him. Probably thinks she owes him for her new life or something. I wouldn't know for certain, but that's what it's beginning to sound like."

"We can talk about all this later. We have a paper due in an hour and we are no closer to getting it done now than we were just a short while ago. If you've got any ideas, then by all means, I'm all ears in getting out of them," Sirius said, looking at his two friends. "We can't rely on Remus since we have no clue where he's once again vanished to. I don't rightly feel like reading to understand the topic we're writing about this time. So we need to come up with something that won't fail to get us out of the line of fire, so to speak."

James sighed, picking up the large book before him, rolling his eyes. "Who wants to write about werewolves anyway? It isn't like we'll ever run into one. I mean… does anyone even hear about werewolf attacks anymore? I know I haven't."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "And you're so caught up on current events since you read the Daily Prophet every day," he remarked, his tone sarcastic.

"Come on now… it at least would mention if there was some dangerous creature on the loss. It's all over the place when something that will endanger us has managed to already attack some of us."

"Things have been pretty quiet… aside from several people who were pushing for pure bloods to be the only wizards allowed to learn magic," Peter chipped in, not wanting to be left out or ignored.

"Why in the hell would people agree with that? Some of the best wizards and witches are half-bloods or even from non-magical families. I see no reason why people could agree with such a thing!" Sirius commented, knowing his family was one of the biggest supporters of Pure Blood Supremacy. That those who were from pure wizarding families were the only ones needed in the wizarding world. He hated them for that. It was completely stupid and he wasn't about to be a part of it.

"Apparently there are some who are for it and some that aren't. But there's one wizard who's beginning to build around the idea. That Pure Bloods are the only good wizards," Peter commented, recalling all that he had heard about the man.

"That's ridiculous. I'm serious, Peter, it will never stick," Sirius commented before turning to James. "So, dropping the serious and crazy issues, it's time to figure out the right jinx to spare us from our assignment."

James nodded. "I think I've got just the one. That is, if Peter and you don't mind feeling like hell warmed over for a couple hours."

Sirius laughed. "That's our resident prank master. Always good with an idea the second he knows it's needed."

Peter looked as if he was completely uncomfortable with the idea of having one of James' jinxes cast on him, even it was meant to be a way to get out of having to turn in his work. He really wasn't all that good with the school work. If it wasn't for Remus, he was sure he'd be failing even worse than he was now. He'd found Remus was perhaps the best friend he'd ever had, especially when Remus seemed to have a never ending flow of good ideas and patience when it came to the dealing with the three of them. It was a must with the three of them in the same room and Remus just seemed to be the gel that kept them from completely going insane. "I… suppose I can… handle it," Peter stammered, nervous.

"I can handle it, James. Just give it your best shot," Sirius remarked, smirking as he watched his friend.

James smirked back before laughing softly. "I'll remind you of that when you can talk again," he said, before casting it on the two of them before then hitting himself with it. He'd been wise enough to summon for someone to see them laying in pain on the floor before he'd cast the last one but he was more than certain there would be a large chunk of time where they'd be uncomfortable as all hell before they arrived.

Remus started in surprise as he watched his fellow dorm mates being brought into the infirmary. Remus was currently recuperating from his latest round with his curse, which was often the case when he was trapped inside of a small confined area during his change. He figured his friends were always worried about him disappearing, but not so much they'd hurt themselves. He looked to Madam Pomfrey, a questioning look in his gaze. "What happened?" he asked softly.

Madam Pomfrey was a rather sweet woman and she helped him as much as she could each month. It was almost as if he had a very caring mother, the way she doted on him each morning after his change. She glanced over at him after waving her wand over each of the boys. "Just a simple form of impediment curse with some added side effects. They're going to be uncomfortable for a bit but should be fine in a couple hours."

"How did…" Remus trailed off, thinking it over for a second before shaking his head slowly. No, if he mentioned it then it was possible that things could end badly. It was more than likely they'd done this to themselves, which wouldn't be good for them.

"We aren't sure. We think perhaps a rivalry that they hadn't been expecting. Mr. Potter is particularly disliked by some people," Madam Pomfrey commented as she finished checking them over and casting the appropriate counter jinxes. "Now… don't you boys get overly excited while I'm out. I'll just be stepping out for a little bit." That said, she turned on her heel and left the room.

James groaned, sitting up once the door shut, only to have his eyes fly wide as they took in the familiarly blurry shape of their missing roommate. "Remus? Don't tell me that you were in here the whole day! We thought you'd vanished once again!"

Remus looked down, his hair hanging around his face, but unable to hide the fresh signs of recent magic work on it. "I… hadn't meant to worry you all. I'm sorry."

Sirius moaned, opening his eyes and taking in the still out Peter across from him. Then he took in James, who was in the cot beside Peter. Finally, his gray gaze settled on their missing forth member. Unlike James, he didn't need glasses and was able to see just what the other couldn't. Fresh scars that were still under a healing enchantment could be seen on his chin and his skin was much paler than usual. "Good lord, Remus, what happened to you? Who do we have to beat up?" he asked, moving to push himself out of bed before a wave of pain and dizziness washed over him and caused him to flop back ungracefully onto his bed.

"N… No one, Sirius. I did it to myself. So you don't have to get protective," Remus said, hoping to diffuse things before they got out of hand. Unfortunately, Sirius' words were the catalyst that seemed to snap Peter out of his stupor and caused James to scramble awkwardly for his glasses. When both boys observed just what Remus had, their reactions were quite similar.

"Now don't start covering for the bloody sod, Remus. There's no way you'd hurt yourself like that," James exclaimed, staring at his friend. Could this be why he was vanishing every month? Was he being beaten once a month by some student and trying to cover it up?

Remus swallowed, wondering just how he could explain things to his friends and manage to still keep them as his friends. It certainly didn't seem like things were going to work out at the rate they were currently going. Some innocent person would get beat to hell if he didn't make them realize the truth. "Seriously James, Sirius, Peter, it wasn't someone else. I really did hurt myself so don't be so eager to fight someone over it."

Peter thought about their current assignment and with a growing, sinking suspicion, he spoke up. His voice was a bit high and pitchy as he talked. "Was last night… a full moon?" he asked, almost as if praying what he was beginning to piece together was completely wrong.

James and Sirius paused in their rants and looked at Peter. "What does that have to do with anything?" James questioned.

"It was," was all Remus answered, still not looking toward any of them.

Sirius opened his mouth but nothing came out. How could it. With that one question and subsequent answer, Remus had caused all three of the boys to look at one another. James' hazel eyes seemed to be rapidly filing away information that had just been received while Peter's own beady eyes were beginning to show some fear. But it was the flash of pain in Remus's hazel gaze that pulled Sirius back to a place he could think. Say what one would about what they all had to be thinking, but that was not Remus. He wasn't a bad person. Not in the least. No curse would change that. "How long have you been suffering from it?" Sirius asked, wanting to get a better understanding.

James' own mouth closed as his own mind caught up to the rest and he realized just what was going on. Their friend always vanished for two days out of the month. One was on the night of the full moon and the other day was always the day immediately after. With their lesson still fresh in their minds, it wasn't possible to pretend they didn't know any longer. Determined, he sat up a bit straighter, since he couldn't get out of bed. "It doesn't matter. Remus is Remus. What he is or isn't cursed with doesn't matter."

Peter started at those words, glancing first at James' determined expression and then Sirius' mirroring one. "James is right," he whispered, though there was still fear in his voice, despite his best effort to hide it.

"So what if you're a werewolf, Remus. You're still one of us. If you're suffering two days a month alone then it needs to stop. We can be there for you, so that you aren't alone," Sirius said, causing Peter to almost pass out at the fear that mere thought brought about to him.

"No! You can't possibly do that! I know wolfs bane helps somewhat during a full moon, but it isn't safe for other humans to be around me on those days. You could be hurt or killed, or worse… made to suffer the same fate!"

James thought back to his first class of Transfiguration and what their teacher had done. He knew Sirius must have been thinking the same thing because he met James' gaze with a smirk that rivaled the best ones James could produce. "Then we find a way to be there as something not human… so that you aren't tempted to eat us."

"But that's impossible!" Peter exclaimed, his eyes now wide and slightly moist from his previous fears.

"Perhaps for us as we currently are. Yet time and effort can change all that. I always wanted to see if I could qualify to be an animagus. This just gives me an excuse to hide it and not register it with the ministry," Sirius remarked, grinning brightly.

James laughed, nodding his agreement. "I think that's a brilliant idea, Sirius. That's just what I was thinking about as well." He paused in his words to look at Remus, whose eyes seemed to have become so huge they seemed to take up most of his face. "What do you say, Remus. Will you help us? I know it's going to take a while, but I hope you can wait for us."

"You… know about my… curse but you still… want to stay friends?" Remus asked, his voice breaking as tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

Sirius sighed. "We'd be pretty rotten wankers if we just abandoned you because of something you couldn't control."

"Besides, we're a team, Remus. Without you we're all pretty hopeless. Peter especially. He'd fail and flunk out if you stopped hanging with us. You can't bear to be responsible for that, now can you?" James asked, his smile the same as Sirius', open and honest, the same as always.

Peter swallowed his fear, realizing his friend was his friend no matter what and he had no right to be fearful if his idols James and Sirius could handle this. "Yeah… would you abandon me to my scary fate all alone?" he asked.

Remus' tears spilled down his cheeks just then, even as he ducked his head to hide them from his friends. "I… I couldn't leave all of you. You're as important to me as I hope I am to you three."

With a shared look the three boys smiled and answered as one. "You are important!"

Remus laughed then, sniffling softly. "With that kind of answer, how could I leave you guys? From now on, we can meet up here the day after so that if there's work you need help on, you won't have to jinx yourselves to share the same space."

James laughed. "I knew you'd figure us out, though we didn't do it to join you here. We were just trying to get out of class since we didn't have our papers done."

"The werewolf report that was due?" Remus asked, looking at the three of them. At those words the three seemed a bit foolish, especially since they were currently speaking to the foremost expert on the whole matter.

"Yes," they answered as one, looking sheepish as Remus shook his head disapprovingly.

"You three are on your own. But I suspect by the time you have a test on it, this will be the one subject not even Peter will be able to fail."

"Fine," Sirius remarked, rolling his eyes. "We'll do it when we get back to the dorm rooms. On one condition, though."

Remus looked at Sirius, a wary look in his eyes. "What's that, Sirius?"

"Never disappear again. No matter the reason. Always let at least one of us know that you're heading out, okay?"

Remus felt his heart catch slightly at those words and he smiled brightly at those words. These were his friends; his true friends. Despite the fear that came with his curse, they were all willing to remain at his side. Even more so, they were going to start working at becoming animagus just so that he wouldn't be alone. He could never ask for better, truer friends than these three right here. "I promise. I won't disappear on you again."

AN: I hope everyone is enjoying this so far. Please review and let me know what you think... or even if I should keep going or give up. Thank you so much.


	3. Chapter III: Mastery in Five

_**Birth of a Legend**_

_Chapter III: Mastery in Five_

Five years seemed to fly by. Remus was a rather studious young man and at the age of fifteen, many girls wanted to catch his eye. He was Prefect this year. It was an added responsibility he hadn't really wanted, seeing as keeping tabs on Sirius and James was a full time job in and of itself. They had become known as the Marauders to the student body. Sirius and James were the brains behind it. Remus was the calm that seemed to keep them from taking it that extra step that would change what they did from pranks to something darker. Peter was the tag-a-long. He always wanted to fit in and did whatever he was told by those he looked up to because he didn't want to be looked at as an outcast.

This was also the year that the three had finally mastered their Animagus forms. James was the first of them to get it. He was a stunning stag. If they had been near any hunting grounds Remus would have worried for the man. He'd earned the nickname Prongs, and seemed to fit it well, human or not. Next was Sirius, never one to allow someone else to show him up. He became a rather impressive black dog. Larger than the normal ones and very easily mistaken for a grim the first night he'd ever wandered into town in it. That certainly hadn't helped things with the Shrieking Shack already drawing plenty of attention once a month. He'd earned the nickname Padfoot that night.

Lastly was Peter. It kind of figured, honestly, seeing as he always followed and never lead. His animal form hadn't come as much of a surprise either, seeing his normal features mimicked them. He was a rat… and not the prettiest of rodents either. His tail was especially strange, so Wormtail became the nickname he took on. Of course, the other three felt it hadn't been fair for them to have nicknames and Remus be left out, so Sirius had taken it upon himself to give him one. Rather unimaginative of him, Remus believed, when he'd taken to calling him Moony and the others followed along. Moony… for the fact his change was controlled by the moon.

The first time they'd headed for the Shrieking Shack together, Remus had been so nervous he couldn't keep anything down that wasn't a liquid. He feared that even in their animal forms and with the wolfs bane potion he took religiously, that something would go horribly wrong and he'd kill one if not all of his friends. He'd lead them to the Whomping Willow and showed them the trick to keep it from beating them, before taking the path from the base of the tree into the shack itself. Remus had then told them to change and wait outside of the room while he awaited his own change. He told them over and over that should anything seem dangerous to get out of there. It had been a tense night but they'd succeeded in remaining outside the room, a close comfort.

The next time they'd tried, Padfoot had been able to curl up with Moony and keep him calm, though Moony would still howl from time to time. The time after that it was Padfoot and Prongs in the room. After the fourth time of it, they were always in a curled up bundle, the werewolf calmed by the presence of those it seemed to see as friends as much as Remus himself did. Even now Remus couldn't believe they'd done so much for him; worked so hard for him. It was nice being able to awaken from his change as a man once more and to know he hadn't hurt himself this time around. He was still drained and weak, pale and unsteady, but at least he wasn't injured.

Shaking his head, the werewolf sighed, bringing himself back to the present. It wouldn't do to allow himself to wander when there was much to be done before his Prefect duties were done for the day and he could meet up and hang out with his friends for the day. The sooner he got them done the safer it was for everyone at the school. Five years had certainly been kind to James and Sirius though. Many a girl wanted them, though James was currently wrapped up in Lily Evens. They were tall, handsome, and smart. While it was true they could be a bit mean some days, it was obvious it was meant to be more comedic than serious, most of the time.

Luckily, the three were currently in the Prefect's bathroom, enjoying the overly large tub and the perks that came with having their best friend in the position of Prefect. Once the hall checks were done, he had every intention of joining them. Luckily, Gryffindor's other Prefects respected them and gave them the permission to use it in the evenings once everyone was done with it for the night. Of course, that had come with a bit of persuasion on Remus' part as well. Finishing his checks and heading to the Prefect's bathroom, he murmured the password and entered, seeing that one of his friends had been kind enough to bring his towels and all from their dorm. Remus stripped, albeit a bit nervously and with a towel wrapped around most of his body, he moved to head for the baths, where he could hear James and Sirius talking about who could get more girls to snog them if they really tried.

"Honestly, Prongs, I don't care if you are famous as the rich boy, troublemaker here at school. As long as you're making eyes at Lily and Lily only, you'd never win," Sirius commented, his voice smug. Five years had taken the rather aristocratic boy and turned him into a handsome young man. Every time he turned around, the other was lip-locked to a different girl. It was as if he had made it a personal mission to find out just how well every girl in their school could snog.

James had also grown into quite the charmer, when he wasn't mooning over Lily Evens or pulling pranks that tended to make the women fearful to get to close to him. One woman in particular seemed to hate him because his favorite target always ended up Snivellus… or rather Severus Snape. That was one boy Remus couldn't seem to bring himself to defend from most of James' and Sirius' pranks. Of course, Severus' attitude and inclination toward the darker side of magic possibly had a large hand in Remus' decision. The first time he'd met the boy, he'd looked down his nose at Remus and called him names, just because of who he was friends with. Since then, Severus would make snide comments to Peter and him if James and Sirius weren't around. Potions was a horrible affair, seeing as Severus excelled in it and lorded it up around those he could, which was usually most of the class. Professor Slughorn, their potions teacher, was often so proud of Severus that he over looked what the boy did in class. That didn't always end well for all involved and once or twice Severus had caused someone to black out and giving them the wrong ingredient for their potion.

Of course, Lily being friends with him didn't endear him to Lily either. Since he was the favorite target of James and Sirius it leads to all kinds of problems between them. Remus honestly worried that he wouldn't be the only of their little group that ended up alone the whole of their life. Remus knew he was fairly popular with the girls around school himself… but with his curse there was no way he could see himself with someone. He had only a handful of friends who knew about him… and he planned to keep it that way. It also didn't help relationships when he was finding himself more than a little attracted to one of his fellow Marauder's, though he'd never admit it out loud and most certainly never to the person in question.

"… do you say, Moony," Sirius asked, having been talking the whole time Remus had been thinking about their little group. Remus shook his head and looked up at his friend, finding those gray eyes only inches away from his face, causing him to pull his head as far back as he could, which wasn't far since he had just gotten into the bath.

"W… What?" Remus asked, hoping that would make the other back off some.

Sirius did move back some, only to toss his head back and laugh. He then moved behind the area Remus was sitting at and leaned forward, using the werewolf as an armrest. "See, Prongs, I told you he wasn't listening to us to answer."

James chuckled, shaking his head. "That you did. Moony we needed your fine opinion and you weren't even following the conversation were you?"

Remus used the embarrassment of the moment to cover the blush that was caused at having Sirius get touchy all of a sudden. "I am sorry. I just kind of tuned out when you both started bragging about who's got the better girl attracting powers. The argument is an old one and I didn't care to listen again," he remarked, managing to cover for himself and possibly get them to change the topic.

Sirius snorted, shifting so his arm draped around Remus' shoulders. "You hear this, Prongs? The boy thinks he's better than us."

"Yes, so it would seem, since he so easily ignored our stirring debate to think things that were not important to the moment. How terrible of you Moony," James commented, now focusing his whole attention on Remus as well.

Remus was beginning to realize his remarks had been a mistake, since now both boys were focused on him while he'd been trying to get them back on one another. Yet it was Peter who managed to completely set the other two off.

"If we're going to judge who can get girls the easiest, then there's no contest," Peter remarked, looking at the three of them. Two pairs of hazel eyes and one gray turned their attention to their smaller companion.

"Is that so, Wormtail? Please, enlighten us with your wisdom," James commented, trying to figure out where the boy was going with it.

"Yes, please do," Sirius added, dropping his arm from around Remus to focus on Peter. Remus merely sighed, waiting for the boy to start his hero-worship of the two and once more giving him some peace from between them.

"Well, I mean, there is only one of us who gets so much candy on Valentine's Day that he ends up leaving them in the boy's dorms for all of us to enjoy. The girls know he'll do it as well and still give it to him in the hopes he keeps one of them for himself. On top of that they always talk about him whenever he's not around and they think they're alone," Peter told them, not looking at either James or Sirius. Instead, his beady little gaze rested on the one in the middle, which made Remus get a sneaking suspicion that he was about to fall prey once more to the others once more.

"You know, Padfoot, Wormtail makes an excellent point. There is only one of us that is buried in chocolates each year. For the last five years we've been here," James murmured, his gaze slowly moving to Remus.

"Yes… and when he's in the common room, he is usually surrounded by girls," Sirius pitched in, his gray gaze also turning toward the other. Remus suddenly wished he could hex them all and run off, but he knew that at least James and Sirius would be able to stop him before he'd ever been able to pull his wand. This didn't help when his wand was currently with his robes in the changing area.

"Come on now… let's look at this rationally. You're reading far too much into this. Really you are, Padfoot, Prongs." Remus swallowed, hoping he could get them to stop before something brewed in their minds that Remus would be unable to stop, Prefect or not.

"Moony!" they exclaimed together in perfect unison before both pounced on him, causing all three of them to go under the water for a moment before they pinned him against the wall. Remus blinked, the wind partly knocked out of him as James' and Sirius' bodies had landed against his own. They shared a look for a moment before Remus cracked a nervous smile and the other two began to laugh.

"W… Why'd you go and tackle me? I thought you were mad because of what Wormtail said."

"Of course we aren't mad, Moony. We want to know your secret! How do you get so many girls after you? Are you snogging with them behind our backs and withholding precious information about the acts?" Sirius asked, putting his forehead to Remus', meeting him eye to eye. A soft pink color crept up Remus' throat and into his cheeks.

"Yes, you shouldn't be withholding such important information from your best friends. I'm certain even Wormtail would love some help in getting a girl or two, wouldn't you Wormtail?" James added, glancing back toward Peter who was blushing slightly at the thought, but nodded his agreement.

"Maybe it's just… my animal magnetism. I mean… I am a werewolf after all," Remus remarked, hoping that would get them to back off and realize he really couldn't teach that.

"Maybe… but you're not only gaining their attention the week before a full moon, Moony. You've got them after you all day, every day. There has to be a secret," Sirius pressed on, knowing there was a lot more going on than the werewolf was telling.

Remus wasn't about to state the main reason he was popular. That tended to lose him friends. Girls were willing to keep secrets if you promised them things but men weren't so inclined to remain silent, especially if the secret usually drove people away. "Maybe it's because my grades are so good. They know I won't slack off and fool around," Remus said instead, taking his eyes off the two pinning him down and looking right at Peter. Peter looked back at him, seeing the plead for help for what it was but unwilling to get in between James and Sirius' fun.

James seemed thoughtful, rolling away from Remus to rest beside the man. "No, I don't think that's it. I mean, granted, you're really good. All those books you've been reading and all has to be. Yet because we study together Padfoot and I also have some pretty decent grades as well. So it isn't the hard work, though being Prefect in your fifth year is pretty impressive for you, Moony."

Sirius followed James' actions and flopped back on the other side of him. "No, Moony, there has to be more to it. I think you just don't want to tell us. Perhaps you're hoping to keep them all to yourself so you can have your pick from all the girls."

"I am not!" Remus exclaimed, finding he hated it when they turned on him like this. It was especially bothersome because he had something to hide and he hated to hide anything from his friends.

"It's because he likes men," a girl remarked from the doorway. Her hair was long, straight, and a rich mahogany color. Her eyes were dark, serious, and an interesting shade of blue. Coriander Pierson, the Prefect for the girls this year. It was obvious she had come up to get Remus, only to walk in on a rather strange scene. "If you boys are done, I need to steal him for the Prefects meeting. If you boys are done molesting him in the tub, then I can collect him and be on our way."

James, for his part, seemed to ignore the first part and focus on the fact that there were four naked men in a clean water tub with a rather pretty girl standing in the doorway seeing everything. He smirked and put his hands on his hips, pretty certain she could see everything from where she was. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather join us?" he asked, confident in his looks. As was Sirius, who hadn't bothered to cover up either, although his gaze was on Remus, who was attempting to scramble out and into a robe in record time, as if his haste could erase what was said. Peter was the worst. Poor boy was pressed against the wall, hiding as far down in the water as he could without drowning himself.

Coriander, for the most part, assumed a look of disinterest. "Perhaps once you make Prefect I might be. Until then, I suggest you all finish washing up and head to your dorm. It's almost curfew." That said she turned and moved to wait outside.

Remus, now dressed in his clothes and his slightly damp hair the only evidence that he'd ever been in the bath with the others, bowed his head to the others. A small part of him hoped they would forget all about what was said; since they'd focused more on the fact a woman had just seen them all as naked as the day they were born. "I'll see you up in the room. Don't spend too much longer or you'll be out after hours." Remus then scrambled to head out before he could hear an answer from them.

"Sorry, I thought you would have told your friends. Guess you hadn't because you think they wouldn't be your friend if they knew you're a bender. My mistake," Coriander remarked, even though her cheeks a soft pink were the only indication of having seen four boys naked had bothered her at all. Her tone of voice was neutral, leaving Remus to wonder if she was really sorry or not.

"I suppose its fine. I would have told them at some point, preferably on my seventh year right before the last day of school, but this works. For all I know, they didn't hear you much once they realized there was a girl in the washroom looking at them in all their nude glory," Remus murmured, motioning to her to move first. Coriander didn't hesitate. As soon as Remus motioned, she moved, leading the way to the Prefects meeting.

Back inside the Prefect's bathroom, Sirius, James, and Peter were attempting to make sense of what had just happened. It wasn't typical for a girl to just come into a room full of naked boys. Even less usual for her to not scream, avert her eyes, or blush like crazy. James turned to Sirius. "Are we losing our touch? Are we gaining weight?" James placed his hands on his flat stomach, as if attempting to figure out the situation.

"Did she just say Moony… prefers men?" Sirius murmured, thinking of all the times he'd teased the werewolf and yet his surprising lack of interest in chasing women made some sense. He'd always believed it was because he feared passing the werewolf curse on if he ever was interested in a woman. Yet perhaps there was a bit more behind it. After all, one couldn't stop wanting to be physical all together. They were young men. Young men wanted to experiment and have fun. For someone in Remus' position, that had to seem even more impossible than Peter, who just wasn't as handsome as a lot of others at school.

James sighed, looking at Sirius. "Seriously, Padfoot, is that the only thing you can think of? Moony is Moony. Wither he prefers men or women, or even wolves, he's still himself. Besides, he's been there for us and covered our arses dozens of times. If we can't back him on this then why did we spend five years of life learning to be Animagus, just to leave him for this?"

"He's right, Padfoot. Moony is Moony. We're friends through thick and thin, aren't we?" Peter asked, snapping out of his shock to face the other two. "I mean, I hope he never hits on me… but he's still my friend."

"Don't worry Wormtail. I'm sure he'd flirt with Padfoot and me before he'd ever bother you," James teased, laughing at the slight pout Peter made before he realized he was doing it.

"What do you mean flirt with you and I, Prongs. He'd certainly prefer me to you," Sirius commented, attempting to once more change pace and get things riled up again.

"Are you joking, Padfoot. I'm much more desirable than you are."

"You're only more desirable in your wildest dreams, Prongs. Reality belongs to me."

Peter sighed as they began their usual argument with a bit of a twist, both vowing they'd just have to ask Remus later and find out just who would win such a debate. If only they'd both realize how much they valued Remus for his ability to stop their fights with logic, then perhaps they'd come to understand that this was the one time Remus was possibly the last person they should turn to. He sighed and moved to finish washing up, certain that morning would come all too soon with far too many interesting things to hear and see to sleep through it all. More than certain Remus would come back late this evening, if only to avoid talking to them for as long as possible.

Author's Note: I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. I'm loving writing it. I've already got up to chapter five written and I'm working on six. So now its up to the fans. Let me know you're enjoying it. Even if its just a small review asking for more. I'm not threatening not to post if I don't get reviews and I'm not going to hold back posting wither I get something or not. Just know us writers live off knowing others enjoy our work. We at least want to make certain that we aren't just writing it for ourselves. When we know people are enjoying our work it makes us want to write more and more for our fans. So let me know what you all think so that I can keep the story moving along. How far do people want the tale to go? Is there something you'd like to see? Let me know… for I'm really curious.


	4. Chapter IV: Twisted Humor

_**Birth of a Legend**_

_Chapter IV: Twisted Humor_

Remus had managed to keep avoiding the rest of the group for almost two weeks before they finally managed to corner him and stop him from running away. Wormtail had been on the lookout for the Prefect. Padfoot had been lying in wait to keep the other from running off and Prongs had been hiding in the room so he couldn't run off somewhere else in the dorm. Once they knew Moony was on his way, they sprang their trap and cornered him.

The two weeks had begun to wear all three of the boys down. Wormtail had become worn down because Moony wasn't around to temper down their great leaders. Prongs was stressed because he was beginning to realize there was a key place for Moony in their group and it was so strange when he wasn't there. Among them all Padfoot had become the worst. He was wound tight and nervous, wanting to be able to spend time with someone he considered his best friend. He had planned to rib Remus about being gay, but he certainly hadn't disliked the other man for it. Yet with Remus avoiding them, he was beginning to realize it was a lot more serious than he expected.

For as serious was this seemed to be for Moony, Padfoot had seriously had enough. Once the werewolf was cornered, Sirius let lose, pinning the other man against the wall so he couldn't move. "You attempt to run away this time, I'm going to stop you and I'm more than certain you won't like it one bit," the animagus growled, watching the other closely. Remus realized he couldn't move, shifting nervously from foot to foot while keeping his eyes down cast. It seemed to the Prefect to be the only thing he could do.

"Why are you running away from us, Moony?" Prongs asked, standing close by incase he had to stop his hot-tempered friend from doing something he'd regret.

"I'm not running," Remus remarked, his voice low.

"Bullocks, Moony! You're bloody well trying to flee right now. You've been avoiding all of us since that stupid announcement by your fellow Prefect in the baths two weeks ago," Sirius snarled, getting right into Moony's face. The movement caused James to reach out, as if to hold back the dark haired mage in case he moved that bit closer.

"He's right, Moony. You've turned and gone the other way more than once. No matter if it was Padfoot, Wormtail, or I," James commented softly.

"Do you… hate us now?" Wormtail asked his voice almost too soft to be heard. "Do you fear we hate you for something that is a part of yourself?"

Remus swallowed thickly, wanting to hide himself from the others. Of course he was afraid. That was just how he felt. He didn't want to see his friends treat him differently because he preferred men. He most certainly didn't want to hear they found him disgusting for his preference. "I don't hate you, any of you. I just… didn't want to hear your disgust in what I like."

"We don't dislike you for being gay, Moony. I will admit I dislike you for being rather dense in how to deal with us learning. Come on now! You're a bloody werewolf and you think the fact you're gay is really going to make us hate you where that didn't? Really?" Sirius questioned, sighing heavily. The wizard just shifted and hugged the scarred man, watching him. "Now… stop being a prat and rejoin the group, Remus. We want you in the group, as our friend. You need to see and believe that, for all of us, but most especially yourself."

James smiled softly, moving to place an arm on the shoulder closest to him, meeting Remus' gaze steadily when the other looked up at the touch. "Honestly, Remus, we don't care. So what if you prefer a guy to a woman. Many wizards swing both ways. Seeing as being with women are a bit… harder for you, especially with a secret most would want you killed for, I can completely understand your choice. Although I was curious," James paused a moment and looked at Sirius before his grin widened and he returned his attention to Remus. "Which one of us would you date, if you could? Sirius or me?" he asked.

Remus shifted from Sirius' arms, which he found he rather enjoyed, and looked at James. "I… didn't just hear those words," he remarked, staring at his friend.

Sirius didn't let him get away. Instead, he moved so he was standing behind Remus, his arms around his shoulders so that the werewolf couldn't just up and run off. "Yeah, Moony, you did. We want to know who you'd pick between us."

"You two… are insane… why didn't you add Peter to that question? Isn't that being rude?" Remus asked, attempting to get them to change the subject, at least to stop trying to get him to choose between the two of them.

"What? Come on now Moony, don't drag me into it!" Peter exclaimed, honestly not wanting to be stuck in the middle of the argument and most certainly not wanting to know. Though there was a large part of him that was bothered by the admission from Remus about liking guys.

"Yeah, Moony, don't drag Wormtail into it," James commented, grinning as he continued to watch the uncomfortable look on Remus' face. For all the times Remus had caused them to stop and behave, it was good to have the other uncomfortable for a bit.

Sirius laughed, his breath brushing over Remus' ear as he shook his head. "Come now, Moony. Stop stalling. You need to answer the question. Especially since James and I have a rather large bet going and I'd like to collect my winnings."

James rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Who said you're winning the pot, Padfoot. Remus hasn't said he'd date you, you know. It could just as well end badly for you as it could for me. It's a perfectly decent fifty-fifty chance going on here."

Remus closed his eyes, attempting to get himself under control. It wasn't an easy achievement, seeing as having the one he would willingly date hanging all over him, breathing over his throat, was merely adding to things, making it difficult to focus. "Come on now, you two. I find this highly inappropriate talk for us. Just because you know I prefer a man doesn't mean I would choose either of you."

James laughed, lightly reaching out to hit Sirius in the shoulder. "Ha, see, I told you there was that possibility as well. Guess we're not manly enough to catch Moony's eye," he commented, moving to face Wormtail. "Bloody hell, you were right in the bet, Wormtail. Come on… I'll pay you that galleon I owe you." With that, James moved away from the werewolf and animagus and dragged his rat-like friend toward their room.

Alone with Sirius, Remus felt himself begin to heat up. The other was still hanging on him and just watching him, as if he was waiting for Remus to say something. The Prefect had no clue what it was he wanted to hear though. Mostly because the other was an enigma and he never really understood just what it was Sirius could be thinking. That mind was dangerous and while Remus was book smart… he could never assume to know what the other was about to say or do. "Padfoot," he whispered, his voice softly, almost questioning.

"Why did you lie, Remus?" Sirius asked, letting the other know he was being serious by calling him by his actual name, rather than the nickname that they all used.

Remus started, his pulse picking up even more. "What do you mean?" he asked, licking his lips.

Sirius reached out and caught his wrist his one hand, his strong fingers pressing to his pulse point, feeling the pulse of the werewolf beating in a rather swift pace. Faster than what should be normal. "You're heartbeat is racing and you're breathing is a bit swift. You're flushed but I know it isn't because you're ill. The whole time we talked, you were fine… until I began leaning on you. I've seen these kinds of reactions before, Rem… and do you know from where?" Sirius asked, his eyes serious, instead of teasing, showing just how much he really wanted an answer.

"I… I have no clue where you've seen these kinds of things before Sirius… and I can't say I care," Remus whispered, hoping his cool words would make the other let go. Yet that didn't seem to be the case. Instead, it only succeeded in making Sirius smirk widely.

"Why in the very women I seduce that try to play hard to get. Those that want people to think one way when the truth is another. James was near you earlier… but there was no reaction to him from you. It only happened when you were near me." He paused and let his wrist go, bringing his hand up to trail it over Remus' cheek. "So why not stop lying to everyone and admit what I already know."

Remus frowned, finding the more and more Sirius continued to talk the more he was beginning to become upset by the other man. "And what am I supposed to admit to?" he asked, his hazel gaze darkening as he watched the fathomless gray gaze light up in his mirth. Honestly, when he kept his mouth shut, he was truly stunning to look at. Yet when the man opened his mouth, it would always shatter the pretty picture he'd created with his looks.

"Why, the fact that you are falling for me Moony, of course," Sirius remarked with a smirk, teasing his friend with a soft laugh.

Remus, on the other hand, had frozen in place, stiffening from his place in Sirius' arms. "Sirius," Remus whispered his voice tense as he attempted to move away from him. This time, the man let him go, if only because the whispering of his name gave the other pause. Remus shifted, moving to look the other in the eye for a moment, before shaking his head.

Sirius watched his friend for a full minute, the serious expression and sad look to his eyes and suddenly all the teasing and the reactions of his friend came crashing down around him. "Rem… you really are…" Sirius trailed off, unable to put into words what his mind had just figured out. The truth was hitting the man harder than he'd ever expected. Most especially since he'd never really expected to have another man come to like him. It hit harder as he realized it was his best friend who had come to have feelings for him.

Remus swallowed, the flush on his cheeks having faded as he saw the look on his friends face. He knew having a crush on Sirius was a bad idea. Knowing the other had learned of his crush and was seeing the reaction it had brought out in Sirius Remus was beginning to wish they had never learned of his preference in the first place. "Just drop it, Sirius," Remus remarked, his voice low.

Sirius looked down, biting his lower lip. "I can't." He sighed, shaking his head. "Look, I'm honored Rem but honestly… I don't feel the same. You know me… I love my women. I have a plan for each year I'm here, you remember it. You found it once a couple years ago."

Remus remembered that list and while it hurt that he knew the other didn't return his feelings, he had expected to hear such words. Remus smiled a bit sadly and shook his head. "Yes, your plan to kiss every female in Hogwarts before graduation. I seem to recall that you left out those who come in after our first year, but that was to expected when you started from the seventh years and began moving downward in the years."

Sirius laughed, even though he didn't feel the joy he once did at knowing Remus was amused by his antics. He'd hurt his friend and it was bothering him for reasons he couldn't understand. Sure, Remus would be hurt, since his feelings weren't return, but was there a reason for Sirius to feel bad for not returning the feelings? He was a ladies man. James and he often fought over whom the most was wanted in the school. So why was one rejection that was doomed to occur occupying his mind now, when they were talking about anything but the rejection? Hell, Remus had seemed to willingly move from his rejection to other subjects and Sirius was still trapped in the knowledge he'd first learned. What in the bloody hell was wrong with him? "Exactly," Sirius commented, smirking suddenly, hiding his thoughts and discomfort behind his grin. "So we're all right then? No problems or anything?"

Remus sighed, shaking his head. "No problems. In fact, forget it ever happened, Padfoot," the werewolf commented, turning as he heard Peter cry out that James was cheating him at a round of wizard's chess, bring another sigh to the prefect's lips. "Now what are they up to? I swear, I feel like the mother of you three instead of your friend some days," he muttered, before turning to head on up to their rooms to check on his other friends. Sirius remained behind, watching Remus go.

It was hard to see the man who had been his friend being in love with him when he managed to hide it so well. Had that entire moment just happened or had Sirius just been imagining it and the truth had been as Remus had first told him. That he didn't prefer either of them. It was quite possible Remus was merely trying to pull once over on him and he just couldn't see it for how well the other was playing his prank. Walking into the room after his friends, he could see James laughing and waving his hands animatedly, as if explaining what had happened while Remus was out of the room. Peter was pouting on his side of the table, muttering about unfair rules and advantages being taken when James knew Peter was still learning the game. Remus seemed to sigh once more, crossing his arms across his chest. There was a brief glance in his direction, where Sirius didn't fail to see the pain that seemed to spark in his friends eyes, before he turned back to the two in question and began lecturing the both of them.

No, it wasn't a joke. It wasn't a pretense or even a prank. There had been an obvious feeling for him in the sad gaze and Remus was suffering heartbreak from it. Yet it seemed he wanted to bury it deep so that no one could notice. He didn't want his friends to worry over him, since they already had more than enough to worry about in regards to him as it was. Sirius was certain that was exactly how the werewolf looked at it. They had been friends for five years, after all. How could they not know the ins and outs of one another? Well, that was something Sirius was going to work on. He'd help Remus get over him and see him smile genuinely again. That was what any good friend would do, after all. Yes, he'd find Remus a boyfriend and then everything could go back to normal. Walking over to the rest of their little group he moved to take James side as Remus and Peter continued to argue with James. A plan was forming and he had every intention of getting help with it. He just needed to figure out how to keep it a secret from the main person it regarded until it was time.

Author's Note: Well, another chapter, another step closer to the end of the tale. Of course, I don't know just where I want to end it. I'm thinking with Lily and James' wedding… with a hint of foreshadowing of the things to come in their lives. If you want the next chapters sooner rather than later… keep letting me know you like it. I don't ask for much… just acknowledgement that it's still going in a way you all prefer. I've got up to six done now with seven in the works… so review and let me know it's good. Thank you all for your support!


	5. Chapter V: Searching for Mr Right &

_**Birth of a Legend**_

_Chapter V: Searching for Mr. Right and Other Things_

As the months passed and the season turned toward the colder weather of the holidays, Remus found a rather interesting surprise when James and Sirius arrived back at Hogwarts, a couple days early from their Winter Break, together. Remus had been enjoying the peace and quiet of the common room. Seeing as most Hogwarts students went home for the Christmas Holiday and Remus didn't really have any family to go home to, he usually spent the time alone. It was true he enjoyed having his friends return early, even if he knew it marked the end of the quiet times. Remus turned his gaze on the two boys, tipping his head slightly.

"All right, Padfoot, Prongs, while I'm glad to see you two arriving back to Hogwarts early, rather than late, I have to ask why?" Remus asked, watching the men for a moment.

"Sirius ran away from home," James remarked, flopping onto the couch beside his friend.

Remus' eyes went wide, staring at the black haired man. "Seriously?" he questioned, watching Sirius for his reaction.

Sirius merely rolled his eyes at that word. "Oh come on. Don't start with that. It wasn't funny the first time and it won't be funny now." Remus and James shared a smirk at those words, even as Sirius grinned a bit as well. "The family and I were on completely different sides of the fence so we agreed to disagree and I ran away. James's parents were nice enough to take me in. Spent the holidays with them then we decided to come back early so that we could spend some of the holiday with our favorite werewolf."

Remus sighed, shaking his head, laughing softly. "I'm the only werewolf you two know," he remarked.

"See, so you really are our favorite. You're looking at the newest brothers ever born to separate parents," James commented, bumping against Remus as Sirius flopped over the chair, laughing loudly at the comment.

"Oh, we've got your presents. Give me a second," Sirius remarked, before heading up to their rooms where the house elves would have put their trunks when they'd gotten back. With Padfoot gone, Remus' expression grew serious as he turned to face James.

"All right, tell me the truth. What happened and don't joke and say he just didn't get along with his family, because we've know that for years," Remus remarked, watching James as the other moved to sit up correctly on the couch beside him.

"I'll tell you, Moony, but only if you tell me what's been bothering you since before we left for the holidays. You've been out of it and while the other two might be dense, I'm not that bad." James started at Remus, wanting to know why his friend was hiding something that was obviously bothering him so much more than he was letting on. James wasn't certain what it was, but he knew it had something to do with the joking around they had done shortly after they'd learned Remus was gay. He was fairly certain Sirius was behind it… in some way.

Remus sighed, something he did rather often lately. "All right, I suppose that would be acceptable. Since I suppose if Sirius already knows, then you should at least be able to know as well. Not to mention I'm sure he'll tell you himself, if you asked."

James didn't tell the other what no matter how much he's asked, Sirius wouldn't tell him anything, which was why he decided to go to the source. It wasn't a lie, not really. It was just James' way of wanting to help his friends however he could. Sirius had been acting strangely since then and Remus was more distant that James would like their friend to be. It was time he at least knew what was wrong so he could either help or go beat someone up. Although James was more than certain that someone was most possibly going to be Sirius, himself. "Come on Moony, tell me. You're not your usual self and while I can understand why some of your moody attitude is understandable, we don't need to add more."

"Sirius learned I have a crush on him. He then told me he doesn't feel that way about me and we decided to remain as friends. It's as simple as that. It isn't my fault he's got problems being around me since then," Remus commented, even as he couldn't help but chuckle.

"He hasn't been that bad Moony. He's just had a lot of problems going on at home. His family wanted him to drop out of school and chose to help the self-proclaimed Dark Lord that's been terrorizing the muggle population lately. He decided to tell them were to shove it and got himself disowned. Since then, he's been staying with us and you know my mother. She's ecstatic. Said she's got three sons now instead of one," James said, grinning at the look of surprise on Remus' face. "Come along now, Moony, you know the day she met you she considered you one of her own. You should just give in and come back with us when the school term is up. She'd love to have you over."

Remus flushed, shaking his head. "I don't think I can, James. It just… isn't safe for me outside of Hogwarts while I'm still working on getting as much control over my problem as possible. I need the control before having to make other people have to deal with me."

James sighed, moving to drop an arm around Remus' shoulders. "Well, she sent a gift with me, so you better send a letter and tell her thank you," he told his friend, even as he heard Sirius coming back down the stairs, mostly because the man cursed several times as he struggled with an armful of packages.

Remus rolled his eyes. "You really want me as a brother, do you? You realize if I go along with that, it would make me your older brother and you'd have to start listening to me a little more. That includes getting your school work done on time, rather than waiting till the last minute. Like someone else we know." His last words were loud enough that he knew their dark haired friend could hear him.

"Hey, you would only be seventeen days older than me. I don't think that would let you treat me like an older brother," James grumbled, looking toward Sirius. "Come on, man, help me here. Remus is trying to pull the older brother card since my mother's taken the two of you into her heart."

Sirius paused, tipping his head. "But it is true that he would be the older brother if we went along with it, James. He was born first in order of our birthdays." Coming to a stop before them, he opened his arms, dumping the packages onto James and Remus, much to their dismay.

"You can't possible mean to say all of these are for me?" Remus questioned, looking at the seven or eight wrapped packages that had been dropped onto the couch with them.

"Oh, but I do, Rem. You see. There's at least one package from each of us Marauder's to you. There are also a couple packages from James' mum and dad. There's also something from Headmaster Dumbledore. We all agreed that it wasn't right you never really get to celebrate the holidays so we made sure there would be plenty for you to enjoy over the break. Wormtail was supposed to come back as well, but we heard he was having some difficulties talking his parents into letting him come back early."

Remus stared at the brightly wrapped packages in his lap, even as his eyes filled with moisture. It was amazing, how much they had all thought about him. They gave him so much and all he did was worry and fret over his curse. The tears pooled and then tumbled over his lashes; even as he looked down to hide his face from his friends. James shifted, placing a hand on his shoulder. A worried frown crossed his features. Even Sirius seemed to become worried as he kneeled beside his friend, looking up at him.

"Hey, come on Rem, don't start crying. We all care about you. You're our friend. We aren't going to write you off on a holiday that's meant for families. So what if none of us are blood related, we can still care about one another. Sometimes… the bonds of friendship mean a hell of a lot more than the ties of blood."

James snorted, snickering slightly. "That fits especially well with your family, Padfoot. I'd run away too if they were my family."

Remus sniffed, a small laugh passing his lips despite the tears. "I… I'll be right back," Remus murmured, before getting up and slipping away from the room, leaving James and Sirius to glance at one another before turning back to look in the direction Remus had slipped off to.

"Think he went off to cry alone?" James asked, a frown crossing his lips as he pushed his glasses up with his index finger.

Sirius shrugged. "It's possible, Prongs. I'll admit I don't really know what he does when he runs off like that." He sighed, sitting back on the floor till he was leaning back against the chair, stretching his legs out before him. "I was thinking... maybe we should look into finding a boyfriend for Moony. He's seemed more depressed lately and maybe a whirlwind romance would help cheer him up. It always worked whenever I was feeling blue."

James stared at his friend, wondering for the first time why Remus had fallen for the idiot if this was the kind of thinking that Sirius normally displayed. That just didn't seem appropriate for what he had learned just a short time ago. "What if he already has someone he cares for? Isn't that kind of harsh? I mean you can't force him to change his mind and chose someone else if he's already head over heels for someone else, Padfoot. It would be wrong to force it."

Sirius paused, looking at James before his gray eyes got serious and he frowned at his friend. "Ah, you know, don't you? You've realized that he has a bit of a crush on me, haven't you? And that's why you're against trying to get him hooked up with someone." Sirius sighed and waved his hand in front of his face. "Seriously, don't worry about it. I've let the man know that I'm flattered but not interesting and I'm sure he's all for trying to find someone new to care about. We just need to give him a little push," Sirius remarked, even as he never really met James' eyes as he talked.

"Are you seriously okay with him being with just anyone, Sirius?" James asked his own tone serious. "Just think about it. If you push him into a relationship with someone outside of our little group, it could become the end of the Marauder's. We've all seen how Wormtail is with that little Ravenclaw girl he's been mooning over. If Remus finds love he'll stop being an active part of our group. Do you really want that?"

Sirius frowned, thinking hard and long at those words. The more he remained in their group, the less he wanted to see Remus with anyone. The truth was, a part of him was flattered Remus cared so much about him, even after being turned down. He liked being with Remus and he was one of the best friends he'd ever had. He just… didn't see men that way. He knew if he didn't actively look for someone to take his place in Remus' heart then he'd get greedy and want the man to love him, despite the fact he knew he'd never feel the same for him. He just… couldn't do that to Remus. "Well, maybe not just anyone, but that's why I was going to have you help. We could look for Mr. Right for Remus together and we'd have to make certain that both of us agree on the man before we ever introduce them. That way, there will be no complaints and we'll at least know the one with him doesn't turn out to be a total sod."

"Sirius, the only two men I trust near Remus in the way you're talking about is Wormtail and yourself. Since Wormtail is completely against the idea and you've already turned him down, my search options are nil," James told his friend, meaning those words with everything in him.

"Why the hell would is it only Wormtail and me? Seriously James, have you gone daft or something?" Sirius questioned, his gaze going skyward as he stared up at the high ceiling of the common room.

James shook his head, beginning to piece together everything he knew and coming to a realization that neither of them had even realized. "No, there is just one thing I've come to see that I think you haven't realized."

Sirius tipped his head, his hair falling roguishly into his eyes. "And what would that be, Prongs? What's the one thing that you believe we've not noticed?"

"Remus' condition, you prat, or have you forgotten all about the reason we've spent five years of our lives working on becoming Animagus?" James questioned his hazel gaze completely serious behind his glasses. "It's fine to find someone who'll care for Remus. Probably wouldn't even be a hard thing to accomplish. He is a very amazing person, after all. Yet he's also someone who's got a very dark past. One that most people would look at and call him names for. He isn't safe with just anyone, Padfoot and you know it. We can't just pick a nice person. We need someone who doesn't care he's a werewolf and could possibly endanger them. Let's face it; we are the only three aside from Headmaster Dumbledore, that don't see the curse when we look at him, even though we know the truth. Anyone else… wouldn't be so kind about it. Most would freak out."

Sirius frowned, before huffing out, shaking his head a moment before reaching up and ruffling his hair with both hands as he growled in frustration. "Bloody hell, James, what do you expect us to do? We can't just give up and resolve that he'll just be alone all the time! It's just wrong! Completely and utterly wrong! No one should be doomed to spend their life alone." His words seemed to trail off as he hung his head. It was too sad to think about. Even if he couldn't love Remus the same way he loved him, the man didn't deserve to be forever without someone. Remus was a smart young man, caring and generous, and always there for others, even when they were pulling pranks on people.

"So then we'll just have to keep our eyes open for someone who would make a good fifth member to the Marauder's and who would be able to keep his secret and still care about him regardless of his curse. I'm not saying we will find someone like that, but that would make the man Mr. Right in our books if we can, right?" James asked, grinning slightly at the other just then.

Sirius nodded, grinning back, even as a part of him inside frowned at those words. He didn't want someone else in their group and he most certainly didn't want anyone else to know about Remus, just in case they did freak out over it. The fewer people who knew, the more likely Sirius was able to know who would have broken their word and told. The easier it would be to find the bastard and beat them up for such treachery. Of course, he'd never admit to those thoughts so instead he agreed with James, fairly certain there would never be someone who would fit all of those requirements. "Well then, sounds like we'll have to keep an eye out and see if this Mr. Right does exist here in the school."

"If not, we're going to graduate in two more years. We can always keep an eye out once we're free from Hogwarts," James murmured, pretty certain that there was only one person who fit that description, and he was too busy being stubborn about incidental things. Luckily, he had two years to get the stubborn fool to realize it himself.

Author's Note: Looks like James as someone in mind already. Can anyone else figure out who that person is? Reviews make me happy… so please review and let me know you like this. It gets harder to keep writing when I don't know when others are interested in it. I've still got a few more chapters in reserve and working on another… faster updates when I know people really want more.


	6. Chapter VI: Snape's Worst Memory

_**Birth of a Legend**_

_Chapter VI: Snape's Worst Memory!_1

As the end of their fifth year was drawing to a close, Remus found he was more and more busy. His duties as a Prefect were put off, thanks to the happy arrival of their O.W.L.'s that they'd be taking in just another week. It the test that would let them know what classes they were good at and would help them make their choices for the classes they'd be taking for the last two years of their schooling. It was June first and they had exactly one week of nothing but reviews before the tests began. Remus had confidence in his skills, but honestly, he was beginning to think his friends would have one class a piece once their sixth year came around.

So, Remus had come up with an idea. He was going to tutor his friends as much as he could as well as anyone else who wanted the help. The flyer had been set up in the common room, announcing help for anyone who wanted assistance for the upcoming O.W.L.'s. It was half an hour after the appointed time he'd set up for a meeting time and not a single person had bothered to show up. This included Sirius, James, and Peter. There was a strange tick in his forehead from this knowledge and he was more than certain that they were probably off chasing girls or causing troubles, even as they knew they had a very set of important tests coming in the next week.

After forty-five minutes of just sitting around, Remus sighed and closed the book he'd been looking over and got up, murmuring a soft spell he'd come up with that would help him find his friends. An outline of one of the halls of the school seemed to glitter before Remus and three names floated together. At least the three of them were all together. Yet it was irritating how far away they were. He swore they were all going to be jinxed and left leg locked in place for the next week… if only because he feared for their grades and coming choices for the upcoming school year. James had joked about becoming an Auror. Sirius had agreed that did sound like a rather interesting job. Yet both boys needed to get passing grades in their DADA, Potions, Charms, and Transfiguration classes. While he was sure his friends would do fine in Transfiguration, he wasn't so certain about the rest of them. Not to mention they'd need one more class to round out their schedules for the next two years. And they'd need a minimum of five N.E.W.T.'s before the ministry would even look their way.

Remus paused in his thoughts, which he had been lost in as he made his way to the location of his friends, to double check the area he was at so he knew he was on the right path. Once he was certain it was right, he moved to keep on going, grumbling under his breath as he could hear the sounds of taunting and teasing reaching his ears. Damn the boys… could they just once not find enjoyment in teasing everyone on campus. Peter's nervous voice piped up and Remus was once more reminded of why he was a part of the Marauders. Peter worshiped James and Sirius… wanted to be like them… but honestly the boy was just too shy and nervous to ever be just as they were. So he went along with everything the others planned, even when he didn't like it. He didn't want Sirius and James to hate him because he was against their plans. Remus didn't hold these things against him. They made Peter who he was. Of course, Remus worried that Peter's follower habits would lead to the boy never having a mind of his own… but if he could keep James and Sirius from doing anything too terrible, then Peter, in turn, would also be safe.

"Padfoot, Prongs, Wormtail… what are you doing over here?" Remus asked as he came up behind them, his expression serious and upset.

James looked up from the students they were tormenting to freeze, his eyes growing a bit wide. "Um… Moony… why do you look like you want to hurt us?" he asked, which in turn caught Sirius' attention. With James and Sirius' focus off the students they'd been casting spells on, the two who had been victims were able to scramble away and out of sight before the two could return to them.

Sirius twitched at the look on Remus face and he tried to play his trump card. "Come now, Moony, why such an expression on your handsome face. You shouldn't put expressions like that on it."

A part of Remus liked hearing those words, but he wouldn't let his crush on Sirius sway his anger at the other men. "Don't try to sweet talk me, Padfoot. We're putting an end to your goofing off now. You were supposed to meet in the Common Room more than an hour ago!"

"Oh, Moony, was that today? I could have sworn that was supposed to happen tomorrow," James commented, trying to placate their upset friend.

"Don't give me that old line, Prongs. I know for a fact you knew it was today, just because I told you this afternoon… during lunch and you all swore you'd be there," Remus came back with, honestly ready to beat the living hell out of his friends. In fact, the way they were acting was serious getting on his nerves.

"Well… we did forget when we were supposed to meet up," Peter added, as if wanting to help James and Sirius and calm down Remus at the same time.

"Yeah, Rem, we totally forgot about it. So can you please… forgive us," Sirius commented, jumping on Peter's words to try to placate their friend.

James didn't even get to add a single word in. Before all three boys could blink Remus had his wand out and cursed Sirius and James with a Petrificus Totalus. Peter began to shiver, his eyes wide as he tried to hide behind the stunned and stiff bodies of his hero's. "M… Moony, come on now… calm down. I'm sorry we forgot. I'm more than certain Padfoot and Prongs are as well."

"Wormtail, are you going to come along willingly or do I need to do the same to you?" Remus asked his expression serious and very angry. Peter squeaked like the very animal he could turn into and without warning took his rat form and scurried up Remus' body to rest on his shoulder. He squeaked once more, as if to say he'd go where ever he wanted as long as he didn't cast a spell on him. He sighed, brushing his hair from his eyes. "Good. Now, Mobilicorpus," Remus remarked, swishing his wand and casting another spell on the petrified boys. This one levitated James and Sirius and caused them to follow Remus. Sure, he was on break as a Prefect, but he was still perfectly allowed to punish those who broke the school rules. It didn't matter that they were his friends. He was honor bound to deal with them if they were caught breaking the rules. At least, this is what Remus told himself as he marched them right back to their dorm.

Once they were back in the dorm common room, Remus removed both spells from the boys and pushed them into their seats, before casting Impedimenta on their legs, so that James and Sirius weren't about to be able to go anywhere. Both boys, themselves, looked repentant, neither one willing to anger Remus any more than they already had. Remus then looked to Peter, who was still in his rat form on his shoulder and his hazel gaze darkened. "Okay… now get down and sit as well, Wormtail… or I'll put jinxes on you as well."

Peter scurried down and over to a chair, changing back to his human form when he knew it was safe and sitting there as if he had always been there. "Teach us, oh mighty and powerful Moony!" Peter called out, hoping if he sucked up he wouldn't end up like James and Sirius, even if it wasn't what a proper follower of the others would do. With all of them properly settled, Remus began teaching their little group what he could.

On June eighth, the O.W.L.'s testing officially began. The first test the Marauder's had to face was Charms. For the next several days, they would have major tests in the main classes they attended. They had their written tests in the day time and practical exams in the evenings. On days they didn't have a class that was giving their O.W.L.'s the boys got to relax. Of course, for them, that break consisted of Remus teaching them more for the O.W.L.'s that were yet to come.

The morning of June eleventh brought the DADA O.W.L.'s. The written tests were held in the morning with the practical exams in the afternoon. Remus was still busy with one of the professors and they agreed to meet outside for some fresh air for their next study session. Yet James and Sirius weren't happy, especially when they saw the object of their unhappiness near the tree they usually relaxed against when outside. During the DADA O.W.L., Severus Snape had made several comments, all bad mouthing Remus, while waiting for their practical exams. They were all under his breath and mostly meant to go unheard, but they were as close to the truth as James and Sirius had ever heard and they certainly weren't happy about it. If he decided to get louder next time… there ran a good chance of Remus ending up under heavy suspicion, if not getting him instantly expelled. Putting Severus' earlier words together with his presence near the tree, and they couldn't stop their actions, even if they wanted to.

"Well, well, what have we here?" James commented, his voice haughty, arrogant. Sirius smirked, catching where James was going with this.

"Why if it isn't little Snivellus, out here on your own, are you?" Sirius asked, his voice just as taunting.

"Leave him alone," a young woman's voice remarked. Stepping out from the other side of the tree was Lily Evens, her red hair shining in the dim sunlight, her green eyes blazing emerald fire as she stared down James and Sirius.

"Come on, Wormtail, Padfoot," James called, wand out. He was already upset and not even having Lily angry at him was going to stop him. Severus pulled his own wand, only earning a smirk from James. "Expelliarmus!" he called out, sending the others wand far away from them.

"Nice one James," Sirius remarked, laughing at the look of surprise crossing the greasy haired young man's face. As well as the fear that began to show. Then, to ensure the other couldn't get his wand, Sirius used an Accio spell to have it sent to him; his eyes almost wicked in their intensity.

James then went on to cast Impedimenta on the man, keeping him from running away, as he had been in the process of doing. Lily continued to complain, telling James to stop, but without her wand, since she'd left it back in her dorm room, she was completely useless for the moment.

Sirius then used a levitation spell to raise Severus up off the ground and began spinning him around. He shared a look with James before glancing toward Severus once more. "You're a bastard, Snivellus and you're never to try to say something so callus about anyone ever again," he growled, watching the man.

"To stress the point… let's take off Snivellus' trousers," James called, a cold smirk forming as he'd glanced from Lily back to Severus. He knew she'd come to hate him, but he couldn't stop this. The man wouldn't learn unless they fully drilled it into him. He used a vanishing spell and as he was hanging upside down, the baggy and rather old pair of gray undershorts the other had been wearing was now quite visible for all to see.

Lily gasped, rushing toward Severus. "Hold on Sev, I'll help you," she remarked, planning on finding a way, even without her wand, to help him.

"I don't want your help, you filthy little mudblood," Severus snarled from his upside down position, despite the fact he really didn't want to lash out at her that way. Yet he was hurting and embarrassed and all he wanted to do was lash out at whoever was around.

Lily's eyes went wide and her cheeks showed a faint red of embarrassment, before she turned on her heel and ran off.

Of course, hearing those words from Severus toward Lily, who had been doing nothing but trying to help him, was the final straw and set James off. His eyes glittered with unhidden anger as he cast a Scourgify spell on Snape's mouth, washing it out. James then moved close to him, his lips curved into a frown. "Don't you EVER use that word again," he commented, before pushing at the prone body, making him sway in the air.

"Stupefy," Sirius hissed, completely immobilizing the Slytherin boy before letting him slowly fall to the ground. They hated him, but they didn't want him dead.

"Padfoot, Prongs, Wormtail, what are the three of you doing?" Remus called, running toward them, Lily in tow.

"Just dealing with a foul mouthed rat," James called back, glancing toward Peter. "No offense, Wormtail."

Wormtail shook his head, his eyes growing wide. "Oh, none taken, Prongs," the boy replied, slightly nervous and afraid of the look that still seemed to rest in James' eyes.

"Well, stop it this instant," Remus said, coming up to kneel before Severus, checking his neck for his pulse. He used the counter curse for the Impedimenta curse and knew it was just a matter of time till he awoke from the Stupefy. He sighed, using Mobilicorpus one Snape, shaking his head. "I'm going to take him to the infirmary. I expect all three of you to be in the dorm room studying for tomorrows exams by the time I return." His voice was so serious the other three knew they had better not get there after Remus did or they would be in worse trouble than they had been before. Rather, in worse trouble than it was obvious they already were. So, they headed back to the common room to study.

"Now… we won't ever tell Rem the real reason why we were really doing this, right?" Sirius remarked, his voice low and quiet as they walked.

"I agree. He doesn't need to know we got upset because of something said about him. He'd feel like it was his fault if we did," James answered, his voice just as soft.

"I agree as well," Peter pitched in, wanting to be included in the secret.

"Good, then let's go study and make Rem proud of us… and hopefully we'll never have to deal with Snivellus again." The boys all nodded in agreement and quickly headed back to the common room, hoping against hope that they made it back before Remus did.

Author's Note: Small note: The chapter title actually comes from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It was the title of Chapter Twenty-Eight and is used here because it was very fitting, both for the story and the content there-in. I am not copy-writing or putting anything else from the books into it than that… at least I don't think I am… and certainly am not using it to profit from it.

Due to getting a couple more reviews than I normally get… as well as ones that were glowing reviews, I felt I just had to put this up ahead of when I was planning to do so. I only have chapter seven done so far… life kind of kidnapped me and I'm barely beginning eight. Yet I feel the more people who let me know they want more, even if it's just to say they want more, then I'm sure to crank out even more chapters in the three days off from work I have this weekend. I already finished up seven just as I was getting ready to post this… and that's just from a couple of reviews. I'm sure the more people let me know they want me to update faster… the more I'll be eager to write more to make you all happy. Of course, I'm not expecting a ton of reviews… I just hope I can get twice as many as the last chapter pulled in. Perhaps more… who knows? Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed. I hope the story is still living up to your expectations. There will be Sirius and Remus at some point… I just firmly believe that good things take time, especially between these two.


	7. Chapter VII: Marauder's Treasure

_**Birth of a Legend**_

_Chapter VII: Marauder's Treasure_

Remus sighed, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes as he sat tutoring a couple other Gryffindor's in the library. The rest of the Marauder's fifth year had passed by much like all the others. Over time, Remus was able to forget that Sirius had learned about his feelings and the two of them had fallen back into a rather somewhat normal routine. With the dawning of their sixth year having begun, Remus was back to what he was best at, school work. On July Thirteenth they had gotten the results from their O.W.L.'s. From there the boys had focused on what classes they were good at and dropped the ones they had no need of.

Remus had succeeded in showing off just how much of a brain he was. He'd gotten O's in all his O.W.L.'s and as such, he'd succeeded in getting into whatever classes he'd wanted his sixth year. Potions, Defense against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and Charms became his classes of choice. James, Sirius, and Peter had all gotten O's in their Transfiguration O.W.L.'s. It helped that they had five years of hard studying in the class to back up their training. James and Sirius got E's in Potions and DADA and A's in Charms, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures. Peter got A's in Potions, DADA, Charms, and Care of Magical Creatures, all due to James, Sirius, and Remus tutoring the boy. Peter, Sirius, and James all got T's in Herbology, Divination, and Ancient Runes. None of them were very good in those and Muggle Studies and History of Magic didn't get passing grades either.

With his outstanding grades, Remus had become the one who the other students turned to. Especially with the lower classes that had O.W.L.'s to study for. Checking the time, Remus looked at the students still there and shook his head. "Time to call it quits for today, everyone," Remus said, giving them a small smile. "We can continue tomorrow evening if you're all up for it." He got nods at that and laughed softly, watching them leave. He moved to read a little more of the book he was on when he heard snickering and name calling. Looking up he saw Severus Snape come into the library. One of his shoes was missing and he was slightly limping. No one else was in the back of the library and Remus felt a need to actually speak to the other boy, even though he was more than certain he'd be dismissed almost instantly just because he was friends with James and Sirius.

"Severus, are you all right?" Remus asked his voice light, not a hit of mocking or teasing in his tone.

Severus muttered to himself, almost seeming to have ignored Remus. He had a stringy, pallid look about himself. His hair was lank, black, and greasy, falling to his shoulders. His nose was hooked slightly and was close to his book as he flipped through it. "Why are you being nice to me Lupin? Are you setting me up for another round of humiliation at the hands of your friends?" the boy asked, his voice a little higher than normal, as if he was stressed.

Remus raised his hands up in a gesture of surrender, shaking his head slowly. "I'm not doing this for any other reason than I wanted to know if you were okay," Remus remarked, looking at the other boy. "I'm really sorry that James and Sirius seem to enjoy tormenting you. I do struggle to get them to just leave you alone, but it isn't easy to get them to stop anything once they're set on something."

Severus snorted, shooting a look toward the other man. "Somehow I find that very hard to believe," he remarked, shaking his head. "Just do as everyone else does and ignore me. I prefer it that way."

"Severus, that's being a little harsh to someone trying to be nice, isn't it?" a soft voice asked as Remus and Severus both turned at the sound. Standing a short distance from them was Lily Evans. She was a pretty young woman, with long dark red hair and the prettiest emerald green eyes Remus had ever seen. Severus couldn't help but shift, his eyes looking down at feet, almost as if Lily's words had managed to do what Remus' couldn't.

"Lily, how's Prefect life treating you?" Remus asked, glad to have someone else he could speak to since it seemed Severus didn't trust him. Of course, Remus couldn't blame him, but it didn't make it hurt any less.

"It's going well, Remus, thank you. The tips you gave me are really working well, but honestly, can you get the rest of your little group to tone it down? I realize that they love pulling pranks, but some of the first years are afraid to leave their rooms when they're in the common room," Lily remarked, giving Remus a small smile. "I know it's a lot to ask for you, but if anyone can do it, you can."

Severus watched the two of them talk, shifting uncomfortably before he spoke up. "Sorry, Lupin, I guess I'm just used to having people make fun of me or worse."

Remus looked over at the other boy and nodded. "It's fine. I really can't expect you to trust me so easily, especially given who my friends are."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I still don't understand why they made James Prefect this time around. He's too busy goofing off to take the role seriously," she grumbled, even as a part of her was glad he was. After all, she'd heard what he'd done to Severus after he'd called her a mudblood. While the words had hurt, especially coming from her friend, she was glad that they hadn't completely stopped being friends over that. "I'd feel better working as with you as Prefect, Remus."

Remus caught the slightly jealous glance from the other man, even as he shook his head. "Give him a chance, Lily. I'll convince him to work hard. Just give me a little bit of a time. It's still early in the school year and I'm more than certain it can be saved before James proves he's completely useless as a Prefect."

Lily smiled, taking his hand. "Thank you Remus. I know it's a lot to ask once again, but it is very much necessary." She then turned to Severus. "What are you working on today? Anything I can do to help with? I'm sure Remus would be willing to help as well, wouldn't you Remus?" she asked, laughing slightly.

Remus watched the slight twitch in Severus' eyes before he nodded. "If you wanted the help I wouldn't say no," was all he said, so that way the other could decline the offer if he wanted, which was looking more and more likely.

"Maybe another time," Severus commented, nodding his head slightly. It was well known Remus was a pretty smart man. His scores on the O.W.L.'s was the talk of the school. Of course, Severus had scored rather high in DADA and Potions himself. Yet Severus wanted to learn more about the darker side of magic. Most believed it was bad to learn such things, but honestly, one couldn't fight it if they didn't know about it to begin with. It also made him itch to learn something that he could use against either Potter or Black. Both of those boys were the bane of his school years and he wanted to get back at them.

Lily took a moment to look Remus over, finally taking in his pale appearance and strained expression. "Are you getting enough rest? You seem rather tired and pale. Is everything okay?" Lily asked, as she moved to place the back of her hand against Remus' forehead. "Are you coming down with something? You feel a bit warm."

Remus could feel Severus' jealous gaze on himself but he couldn't bring himself to care. Not when her hands were cool against his flushed skin. He watched her place the back of her other hand against her own forehead, testing the differences in their temperatures. "It's possible that I may be coming down with a bit of a cold. I'll visit Madam Pomfrey before returning to the dorms."

Lily sighed, dropping her hands. "All right, Remus. As long as you promise you'll go then I won't keep you," she remarked, sighing softly. "Just don't overdo things, all right?"

Remus nodded, waving to both Lily and Severus as he picked up his books and moved toward the library door. "I know. I won't. Later you two," he said before leaving. On his way back to the dorms, he paused several times, out of breath and a bit dizzy. He was certain he should make his way toward the infirmary, but somehow couldn't bring himself to make the trip in the opposite direction. It had already taken him a long time just to get as far as he had. If he turned around now and went toward the infirmary, then he'd just be backtracking most of the distance he'd already struggled through. He just, couldn't bring himself to do that in the first place.

Rounding a corner, he saw someone that made him smile somewhat, knowing that at least he wouldn't be alone heading back to the common room. Peter stood a short distance away. It was obvious he was enjoying a break from the group, his cheeks flushed as he seemed to be testing spells on a piece of parchment. Remus couldn't help but smile, finding it amazing that the boy would keep trying, even when it was obvious he'd never be like James and Sirius… no matter how hard he tried. "Peter," Remus called to the boy, working to hide his grin when he saw him jump in surprise and shock. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Peter swiftly shook his head, moving over to Remus, even as it was obvious he was nervous around him currently. Perhaps he was just embarrassed he was… caught. "Its fine, Moony, I just didn't hear you come up. You surprised me."

"It's quite all right, Wormtail. I'm a little under the weather and I admit I've been lagging in my movements. I might be moving so slow that I'm not making any noise any more. I'm sorry for startling you," Remus remarked, giving the other a small smile.

"Don't worry about it. I'm used to being startled, Moony. I guess you could say I am easily startled," Peter answered, before a worried frown crossed his lips and caused him to tip his head. "Moony… are you all right? You don't look so good," he murmured, causing Remus to give the boy a small shrug.

"I'm not certain, Wormtail. I do believe I may be coming down with a bit of a cold. I don't think it's anything too bad but it's wearing my body down. Especially since it wasn't so long ago that I…. changed. It always wears me out and it seems it's making my cold a bit worse," Remus answered, even as he tried to reassure the other that he was okay. That it wasn't anything to worry about.

"You say that, but the last time you got sick after your… change… you were laid up in bed for almost a week," Peter reminded him, even as he fidgeted from one foot to another. He was honestly scared, but not about the fact that Remus was sick, but of how Sirius and James would react if he didn't handle things correctly once he had found out Remus was sick. The two were pretty protective of the werewolf and while he couldn't understand exactly why they were like that, they were, and that was something that Peter took great care not to trigger. Friend or not, the boy was certain they would kill him if he ever screwed up were Remus was concerned. That wasn't something the rat animagus wanted at all; not even for his heroes.

Remus's hazel gaze went wide, even as he watched Peter for a long moment. So, perhaps the rat wasn't such a rat after all. Perhaps there was a bit more there than the boy wanted to show… and Remus found he liked that about him. "Thank you, Peter," he murmured, shifting till he could lean against the other.

Peter was surprised when Remus suddenly began to lean on him; the heat from the cold ravaging his body heated him up as well, causing Peter's small beady little eyes to widen. "Oh lord, Moony, you're burning up!" he exclaimed, his voice squeaking.

"I thought so… but I didn't want to say something in case I was just imagining things," Remus answered, his voice breaking, his throat suddenly rather dry.

Peter made a decision and without hesitation, he helped Remus to their dorm, which was closer and laid him on his bed, before he scurried off to alert Madam Pomfrey about Remus' condition. Of course, he did pause long enough to make sure he was comfortable and had a cool cloth on his head before he ran off, shouting as he rushed out. "Just hang on Moony! I'll be right back with Madam Pomfrey!"

Remus watched the boy run off and he laughed softly, before coughing lightly and sipping at the water that had been left at his bedside. Say what people will about Wormtail… but he really did care for his friends. A lot more than most people tended to give him credit for. 'Perhaps I should tell James and Sirius to be a little kinder to him for a bit, after all, he did come in very handy today. He deserves a reward,' Remus thought to himself, finding himself staring at the ceiling as he attempted to think cool thoughts while he waited for Peter's return with the nurse.

Yet it was James and Sirius who returned first. They were laughing and joking softly, but the second they took notice of Remus laying on his bed with a cloth on his head, all sound stopped. Both boys then rushed over to Remus' bed, one on either side. "Rem, what's the matter?" Sirius asked, his voice showing his concern, even as his gray eyes seemed to trail all over his friends face.

"Moony, why didn't you say something this morning about not feeling good? We wouldn't have left you alone today if we had known," James added, taking the cloth and moving to get it damp and cool once more.

Sirius then took the cloth from James and carefully placed it back on Remus head, trailing one hand over the others cheek. "Lord, Rem, even with the cloth you're still burning hot. Should we go get the nurse?"

"No… Peter went to go get her once he brought me here to lie down. I'm sure he would have tried to get me to the infirmary himself, but seeing as I was closer to here than there, I feel he made the wise choice," Remus answered, even as his voice sounded rough and scratchy, even to his own ears.

"Don't talk any more Rem. We'll be here with you till he gets here with her. You aren't alone," Sirius remarked, his voice sounding certain, even as inside he was ready to go insane. What the hell was going on? Remus was sick and here they were trying to just be calm and patient with him. He hadn't forgotten the last time he'd gotten ill. It had been hell. Not just for Remus but for the others as well. It had happened like it was happening now, just a bit of a fever a couple days after the full moon. Remus had been walking funny that day and had eventually almost collapsed down a set of stairs before the rest of the Marauders had realized just how serious it was. James had caught the werewolf before he'd actually spilled down the stone steps and had rushed with him to the nurse. Three days later, Madam Pomfrey finally let them visit with him. Two more days after that, he was finally released from the infirmary. Five days for a cold… that a simple spell should have been able to treat. When the group had asked Remus why it had taken so long, Remus had told them something that had caused all of them to worry about him more. Even now, he could still recall that time, back in their second year.

_~Flashback~_

_ Remus was still pretty pale, sitting on his bed after being released from the infirmary just an hour ago. Peter was lying on the foot of it, watching his friend with a worried gaze while James sat on one side of the bed and Sirius on the other. They were glad he was free but they couldn't for the life of them figure out why it had taken as long as it had for him to get out._

_ "Come on, Rem… tell us what happened. I've never seen a wizard fall to a cold like that before," Sirius commented, bumping his shoulder against Remus'._

_ "It's pretty simple to understand," Remus began, watching them closely. "Being a werewolf, my body is more resilient. It means I don't get sick very easily. At the same time, my body is so resilient that most magic doesn't work on me as it would on you. So of course, the spells to heal me would end the same way as the ones the nurse attempts to use on me whenever I'm scratched up after a change. It takes a lot longer to take effect," Remus explained, watching his friend's expressions as he spoke._

_ James frowned, looking down and Sirius seemed stunned, at a loss for words. Peter stared wide eyed at his friend, a small frown on his own lips. "So then, you getting sick… is a bit dangerous?" Peter finally asked, breaking the slight silence that had begun._

_ Remus nodded. "Yes… to a point. I can't fight it off alone and magic doesn't work on it instantly… so having it tended to before I completely succumb to it is a pretty big deal."_

_ "Then we'll make a promise, Remus," James said suddenly, glancing at Sirius, who nodded his silent agreement. "Anytime you feel under the weather, tell us and we'll be there for you. Should it get so bad you can't even walk under your own power, then we'll get the nurse, no questions asked. Okay?"_

_ "Of course, that means you have to tell us when you are starting to feel bad, Rem. No hiding it from us," Sirius added, knowing his friend would try to hide it if for no other reason than to keep them from worrying about him._

_ "I promise," Remus remarked, smiling warmly at them. The other three smiled back and hugged the werewolf, laughing softly when they all fell back on the bed at the action._

_ "We promise too," Sirius, James, and Peter answered, before once more falling into a fit of giggles._

_~End Flashback~_

James placed the back of his hand along Remus' throat, feeling the heat rising off his body. "Don't worry, Moony, I promise you'll get help. Want me to go check on what's taking Wormtail so long?"

Sirius was about to say yes when he saw the slight shake of his head Remus gave. He trusted Peter to take care of what he'd started and Sirius didn't have the heart to contradict him, no matter how worried he was. Instead, he pulled out the paper he'd been working on, showing it to Remus. "Look, Rem, it's almost done. James and I were merely checking out one of the other tunnels we'd found the other night. Turns out the rest of it is collapsed in and there's no way through, but at least we got one of the missing pieces to our map."

Remus, despite his cold, looked at what was shown to him, even as he grinned. "Good," he croaked out, before coughing slightly. James reached over and offered him some water, watching Sirius for a moment and then making sure Remus was done before setting the water aside.

"We just need to cast the spells you're coming up with on the map and it will be completely safe from anyone who wanted to get a look at it," James remarked, knowing out of all of them, Remus was the most skilled at creating new spells. Of course, with the current condition of their friend, he wasn't certain that now was a proper time for them to discuss them. He just figured he'd be happy to know their drawing of the map was almost complete.

Yet while James and Sirius felt that things could currently wait, Remus didn't. He knew he was sick and certainly not at one-hundred percent, but he also knew just how important this project was to his friends as well. Of course, it did help that he'd already figured the spells he wanted on the map and could quiet possibly perform them even if he was dying. A little cold was far from death, even if he did feel warm, but that didn't bother him one bit. No, this was a project that had been long in the works and shouldn't be put off any longer. "Let me see it," Remus managed to say, even as he shifted to sit up. Sirius was leaning over him in an instant, moving to try to push him back down, before deciding to help him when he got a glare from his friend. Once Remus was sitting up, James handed over the scroll.

"Rem… it can wait you know," Sirius whispered, not daring to speak out against the other any louder than that.

Remus shook his head. "No… the spells aren't that complicated and I can do them in my sleep. Just… let me finish it. You guys did the hard part, after all. It would be a shame if… it got taken… before it could be hidden from others." That said, he picked up his wand and began placing spell after spell on it. A tracking spell that only activated when they asked where people were. He then placed a cloaking spell to hide it when the right words were spoken and another with set words to reveal it. Lastly, he placed a spell on it to prevent anyone from finding out what was on it… no matter what kind of spell they used. With it done, he coughed and held out his wand, quietly making the map disappear before holding it out to Sirius. "There," he murmured, looking from Sirius to James. "Now, hold up your wand and say the words 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good'."

Sirius raised his wand and waved it over the blank map. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." With the words spoken, the map sprang to life on the page, revealing the map that they had so painstakingly worked on for years. He looked at Remus and smirked. "Nice choice of words, Moony," Sirius commented, pride in his voice. Remus flushed at that.

"What else did you put on it?" James asked, impressed with the spell as well.

"There's a locator spell on it. Name a person or location on the map that you want to know about… and it will show you who are there or where the person is," Remus told them, glad they were happy with the cloaking spell.

"Where's Wormtail?" Sirius asked without a moment's hesitation. Remus couldn't help but sigh in exasperation at that, even as he looked at the map. Sure enough, a small name popped up on the map, just outside the area where their dorms were, meaning he wasn't too far from the dorm room.

"That's closer than I expected," James murmured, before looking closer at the map. "Where's Madam Pomfrey?" he questioned.

Sure enough, the nurses' name popped up just a few steps in front of Peter and that set the boys into action. "Moony, how do we hide the map?" Sirius asked, looking to his friend.

Remus reached out and waved his wand over the map. "Mischief managed," he said, watching as the map once more went blank, looking for the entire world as if it was just a blank parchment. James smirked and took it from Sirius, moving to roll it up. He had just finished and placed it on the nightstand when Madam Pomfrey came in, followed closely by an out-of-breath Peter.

"Having a bit of a fever, are you, Lupin?" Madam Pomfrey asked in her motherly voice, causing Remus to smile, nodding his head, the cloth that had been resting there falling off at the action.

"Just a little… though I feel better thanks to my friends care and worry over me," Remus answered, looking at James, then at Peter, and finally at Sirius.

"Yes, I can see they treasure you a great deal." She waved her wand and began to scan the boy, checking him over and sighing softly. "Luckily… it isn't something as serious as last time. More like a head-cold. I've got some potions that should help with it a lot better than any spell."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. I'd appreciate that." He then looked at the other Marauder's and grinned brightly, despite his heated face. "Although, I'm sure I treasure them just as much in return… if not more so." They shared a look and then a smile, before beginning to laugh. Of course, Peter only laughed because the others were doing it, not catching the joke. It was cut short when Remus began to cough instead of laugh and the boys once more began to worry over him, leaving the nurse to shake her head and dig through her bag of potions before giving it to the boy, honestly uncertain what she should do about them… and not certain she wanted to even if she did know.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay everyone. Lack of Reviews depressed me some and then I ended up getting really sick. It wasn't the best month of my life. Add to it freak rain storms that take the net out for a couple days and you just get a depressed author with no motivation to write. I'm glad all of you that are reading and reviewing are enjoying the tale. I hope the rest of you keep reading up until the end… I know where I want to end it… but not quite how many chapters it will take to get there. Please… for the small joy you give me and the will to keep writing more… review. has made it super easy and I really don't need much. Just a simple 'Nice job' or 'Can't wait for more' does so much for us poor little fanfiction writers. You all have no idea. Thank you for your support and I'll see you again in Chapter VIII.


	8. Chapter VIII: Hard Truth and Gentle Lies

_**Birth of a Legend**_

_Chapter VIII: Hard Truth and Gentle Lies_

It took less than a day for Remus to recover from his cold and the Marauder's soon spent the next couple weeks exploring Hogwarts in a whole new way. With the Marauder's Map, as they had dubbed it, in hand, there was no place left unexplored. No worries of being caught. Of course, the unexpected still happened from time to time as well, mostly because James and Sirius always pushed the boundaries and limits and left themselves on the very edge of everything. Remus was usually hard pressed to take a stand and would have to resort to physically dragging someone away to end it.

Remus sighed as he found himself taking a seat on one of the library chairs, his hair mussed and falling in weird directions. He swore, sometimes it didn't pay to be the straight man to two funny men. Peter wasn't much of a worry lately since he'd been spending more and more time with the soft spoken, quiet little Ravenclaw girl he'd managed to win over. She was adorable and while not a stunning beauty, she had a certain appeal that he could tell Peter liked. In the end, that was what mattered after all. Peter was happier than Remus had ever seen the boy and he wouldn't take that away from him for anything in the world. He was honestly happy for the other and was even a little envious. How nice would it be to care for someone and have them care for you in return? To Remus, that was a dream he felt he would never be able to realize and the longer he lived with his curse, the more he was coming to realize this fact.

Feeling a weight suddenly press against his side, he flushed as he realized that while he'd been lost in thought, Sirius had managed to sneak up on him and had moved to lean against him, book over his face as he'd failed over and over again to get the other's attention. "Man, Rem, what in the world are you thinking about, ignoring even me over it?" the dog animagus grumbled, almost in a pouting manner, though he'd never admit it.

"You're going to get wrinkles if you keep looking like that, Sirius," Remus commented, snapping out of it. Who cared if he would never have some grand romance? He had amazing friends that he could live through. Friends who were willing to always tell him about their latest adventures and dates that would leave the werewolf laughing for hours after they'd gone to bed.

Sirius looked up at Remus from over the book and couldn't help but like that he'd been able to bring a smile to the man's lips. He hadn't done that much lately and while he'd never admit to it, it had been bothering him. "So, what were you thinking about so hard that you forgot that I was even around, Rem? I mean… you were pretty out of it."

Remus debated lying. Sometimes gentle white lies were better than the cold reality of the hard truths that they all carried inside of themselves. Yet when he looked into the slightly concerned gaze that was staring back at him, he sighed and knew that a lie, no matter for what reason, wasn't a good idea, at least not when it was geared toward his closest and dearest friends. "I was thinking about Peter's girlfriend and how happy he's seemed lately. I was also debating if I should try to find a girl for you as well. She might calm you down a little, Sirius."

Sirius rolled his eyes, snorting slightly. "Are you kidding me? A girlfriend might have made a difference to dear ol' Wormtail, but look at what it's doing to James. I mean, the man is absolutely smitten and acting completely daft. I've never seen him so stupid. He's been chasing after Lily and she's been happily giving him a merry run for his money. Why someone would be happy doing that to another person I'll never understand."

Remus found himself wanting to argue with Sirius about that, but he couldn't. In this case, he was right. James was a right idiot when it came to Lily and she knew it well. She used that to her advantage and had a field day getting James working harder as the Prefect he was as a way to prove how serious he was about her. It was a good outcome, since James should have been serious as one since the beginning, yet Remus hoped she wasn't playing him. He honestly hoped that she did like the idiot… if only so he wasn't working his ass off for completely nothing. "I highly doubt every relationship will end up as James and Lily's has, Sirius. After all, James is just… hopeless in general when it comes to women. He's got none of your skill at talking the one he's after into anything." Remus paused and looked away. "Though, it does make me wonder why you're in the library with me when you should be out on a date as well."

Sirius would never admit that he was slowly becoming jealous of the people who were spending more time with Remus than he was. The man had at least three study groups a week and since the other Marauder's had been more focused on dating than doing things together in this latest week, Remus seemed more content to up the number of lesson's he'd give to make up for being alone while everyone else was on a date. It also didn't help that Sirius had noticed one of the boys in the study group making eyes at Remus. No one was allowed to hit on Remus. Not while he was around.

Of course, this desire to keep it from happening had gotten worse after yesterday when he'd come by one of these study sessions with the intention of walking back to the dorms with Remus and stumbled upon a scene that had his heart almost stop. The boy in question had been leaning over Remus' shoulder, talking to the scarred boy in low tones. Remus was his usual calm and relaxed self, not seeming to mind the closeness. Then it had happened. Right as Sirius had been about to call out to them, the boy had reached out and turned Remus' face toward him and placed a kiss on the werewolf's lips.

It didn't matter that the kiss had only lasted two seconds or that Remus had swiftly reprimanded the boy and told him that he didn't see him that way. The only thing that mattered to Sirius was that he'd seen it happen and the swift urge to haul the boy out of the library and place every curse on him he could think of. It was jealousy… pure and simple and the sheer fact he'd felt it when he should have been happy for his friend spoke volumes. Of course, this had set Sirius onto a path of denial and placed him right at the werewolf's side for all of the next day. This was why he was sitting in the library, leaning against said person, and actually reading, rather than out on a date like he should have been.

"Am I not allowed to want to hang out with you from time to time, Rem? You make it sound like we're not friends anymore or something," Sirius came back with, finding he really couldn't come up with a reason as to why he was here with him to begin with, at least, not one that didn't tell the other just how jealous he had become.

Remus couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the animagus, as if he wasn't buying anything the other said. Of course, Remus couldn't buy it, seeing as it was a very un-Sirius thing for the man to say. "Yeah… I don't believe it, Sirius. Try again. Perhaps this time you can start with the truth and we'll move on from there. I'm more than certain snogging with a pretty girl in a hidden corner or perhaps a midnight tryst would be more you're thing. Not reading a _book_ inside of a dusty old library with a _male_ friend." Remus made certain to emphasize the words book and male because he knew for a fact those two things didn't usually fall into a good night out for Sirius Black.

Sirius sighed, rolling his eyes at his friend, even as he realized too late that Remus would have recognized his words for the lie it was. While hanging out with his Marauder friends was not out of the ordinary for him, just hanging out with one when he could be out on a date was. "Well, I don't know why you're so focused on this. I just got tired of women for a while. So hanging out with you is my next choice since Wormtail and Prongs are both busy so they can't join us."

Remus continued to stare at the man, a frown gracing the other's scared face. "What do you take me for, Padfoot? I'll be the first to admit hanging out together is something I understand and enjoy. Hanging out together _reading_ _books_, however, isn't something I understand when it's put together with _you_!"

"All right, Rem, calm down. You're right, okay. It isn't normal. I guess… I've got to come clean and be honest with you, huh?"

"I'd like that, Sirius, but at the same time, I don't want to force you into being honest with me either," Remus replied, looking at the handsome man beside him. Really, the other didn't make things easy for him. He knew he should move on. Collin was a nice wizard, but there was so much the other didn't know and Remus was reluctant to tell anyone about what he was. It was bad enough five people aside from himself knew about him. Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey were staff so it didn't really count. But Peter, James, and Sirius were students and when upset or angry, could accidentally say something they shouldn't. It wasn't that Remus didn't trust them, since he did completely, but he also knew that there was never a guarantee that things couldn't leak at some point. So for Remus he was happiest as things were now; living through his friends and keeping it between just the four of them.

Sirius thought long and hard, looking at Remus from over his book occasionally. He could take the easy way out of all of this. All he had to do was tell Remus he didn't want to tell him. His problems over the other would be solved. Yet a part of the man found he hated even the idea of taking the cowards' way out. It sat wrong in his chest. Far worse than anything else the wizard had ever done before. It just… wasn't right to lie to Remus, not at all. Sighing, he slowly shook his head. "No. I could easily take the out you're giving me, but it wouldn't sit right with me at all."

Remus watched Sirius before nodding his head, watching him closely. While he could say something, he was beginning to feel that it wasn't appropriate for this moment in time and it was more than obvious that there was something weighing heavily on Sirius' mind. Something that obviously he felt the need to talk about so Remus kept silent.

"It started a while ago, Rem. I noticed you were working hard, helping everyone out. It was… strange watching it and I found I hated it… a lot." Sirius began, raising a hand to ruffle his hair, causing it to become even more rumpled and messy than it always was. "I suppose, you could say I was jealous of them, spending all that time with you when you had me… well all the rest of us Marauder's to be with." He knew he was backing out slightly, by adding the other boys in on his own personal feelings, but he couldn't help it! He was too afraid to just openly admit everything he was feeling just yet.

Remus stared at his friend, even as a part of himself felt a slight fluttering in his chest. No, what it sounded like it couldn't be. It just couldn't. After all, that shouldn't be even in Sirius' mind, especially toward him, of all people. "I'd almost say you were jealous," he said, before he could think better of it.

A dark red color crossed over his cheeks as he looked away from Remus and tried really hard to find something, anything to look at other than the werewolf. Why was it whenever he really didn't understand things, Rem seemed to be able to understand it completely? To the animagus, it really didn't seem very fair. Why should someone else understand him better than he understood himself? Was that all part of what they called love? If it was, he wasn't certain he was so happy about it. Especially when it let him into areas he felt were best avoided. "J… Jealous? Jealous of what Rem? Of who?" Sirius asked, finding it easier to ask questions rather than remark on the simple sentence the other had uttered.

Remus felt like kicking himself. He couldn't believe he'd caved into his simple desire to have the person he cared for return the emotion. Sure, Sirius cared about him, but it would never be in the same way that Remus cared for him. "I don't know. Perhaps there's a girl in my study group that's giving me more attention than you and its bothering you. I don't know if I'm right about that or not, I just know that what you explained sounds a lot like you're jealous. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean you are."

Sirius found yet another place where he could take what the other offered and run with it. Damn it, why did the other wizard have to be so blasted considerate of his feelings? Here was the perfect chance for him to jump to conclusions and try to make hints toward Sirius beginning to fall for him. Hell, if it was him, Sirius would be jumping on anything he could if he was interested in someone and they weren't returning his feelings. So why in the bloody hell was Remus giving him so many chances to say it was anything but that? Especially when it was looking more and more like that was exactly what it was. He was falling for his best friend. His best friend who was another male of all things! The womanizer that everyone spoke so highly of was falling deeply in love for the first time and it was with the one person he and no one else would have ever expected. He'd be damned if he let that slide without getting the other males attention.

Without taking a second to really think about his actions, Sirius moved toward Remus and knelt before him. His lips curved into his cocky grin that he normally wore, even though there was a slight hint of nervousness in his actions. Instead, he leaned in and got face to face with Remus. Gazes locked together and Sirius could see the other swallow thickly at the action. That made Sirius' grin deepen and he found he liked putting the other man off guard. If he was lucky, his next actions would knock the genius so far off balance that he quite possibly would be the most honest with him he'd ever been. "No, it doesn't," Sirius remarked, his voice gaining confidence with every word as they seemed to make the other tremble before him. "But then again, it doesn't mean I'm not jealous either. Though, you're wrong about who the focus of that jealousy is. No, it isn't that the women are giving you attention more than they're giving me. It's that you're giving everyone else more attention than you give me… and that I really don't like."

That said, he did the one thing he never expected to do, something that he was more than certain that Remus wasn't expecting either. Catching the flush on those pale cheeks and enjoying the confused and off guard look on the other's face, he leaned in and stole the lips that had been teasing the animagus since he'd seen that confrontation with the other wizard in the library.


End file.
